Thickening Shadows
by Wayward-Assbutt
Summary: Nico Di Angelo made the ultimate sacrifice when he chose to be the one to close the Doors of Death; and it didn't go unnoticed. The Man in the Moon brought him back, but what for? With Pitchs' return, Nico will have to find out soon, or lose himself to the thickening shadows. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Time ceased to exist. Darkness was all I knew and pain was my only company. I remember being alone, and scared- more scared then I had ever been in my entire life. Silence was deafening. Then I saw the moon. I wasn't scared anymore. It was so big, so bright- as bright as the night that my sister had died-I couldn't help but not be afraid._

_But I should've been._

_I would've preferred the dark and the pain to the new life I had been dealt._

_My name is Nico Di Angelo._

~0~0~

It was the light that awoke the teen sleeping in the field. The moon was bright and full; glowing with luminosity and life, many people all over the east coast stopped and stared up at the sky to marvel at the brightness. The teen groaned and gasped, covering his eyes from the brightness, looking very much like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

"How?" he sat up, moving like an old man, gazing first at his pale white hands to the moon up in the sky, "why?"

The night was silent.

The teen scrambled up, standing straight at his height of 5'6, testing the weight on his legs which had been previously broken. He looked himself over. Not a scratch. Hands scrambled over his aviators jacket-finding it as whole and perfect as the day he stole it-his shirt underneath was perfect as well. At his side, connected to a chain belt, was his sword, but he swore he had lost it within the first hour of fighting.

Hands now shaking he gripped his raven black hair, brown broken eyes filling with worry and confusion, one thing running through his mind.

_I should be dead._

He knew he wasn't dead. His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he rushed out of the moon light and into the deep long shadows created by the trees that surrounded the clearing. Clenching his fists he felt his power bubble within, waiting to burst out. Shadows engulfed him and he slunk through the darkness- his heart beating a little faster all the while- and came out only to find himself spotlighted in the moon yet again.

Camp Half-Blood was near empty, lending Nico Di Angelo to think it was winter; after all, it was primarily a summer camp. In the distance from the edge of the woods he could see the light of camp fire, reaching high into the sky, building a happy atmosphere. The son of Hades breathed a sigh of relief. Chiron would be there. Chiron would explain.

As he ran his sword banged against his leg. Wind whipped at his hair and clothes as if pulling him back. He ignored it though. He reached the campfire and breathed a sigh of relief. He saw familiar faces. His cousin was leaning heavily into Annabeth, looking weary, with an odd look in his eyes. Annabeth was running her hand through his hair. A child of Apollo was signing a happy camp song while everyone else sung happily, laughing and giggling away.

"Percy," Nico breathed. The last time he had seen his cousin had not been a happy affair. The black haired son of Poseidon was being held back by Jason, Leo and Frank, his anger causing storm clouds and winds to appear. Percy – next to Hazel- had been the one most against Nico's decision.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," Nico easily worked his way through the crowd, "is the silent treatment really necessary-"

A chill worked its way through his bones, and he gazed down at his hands as his form flickered blue, letting off a little wisp of smoke. A pain erupted within in his chest, and he clutched his chest, feeling as if part of his heart had just been ripped off. He gazed up with tears in his eyes and watched as Chiron-the one who had walked through him- knelt down next to Annabeth and Percy.

"What's-" Nico rushed forward and attempted to shake his cousins shoulder, but his hand went straight through, turning blue and wispy yet again, "-this has to be some sort of joke."

He took a couple steps backwards only to have someone step through him again. He clutched his chest and continued to move away. Another person decided to get up and walk through him. Nico gazed around in horror before dropping into the first shadow he could find, appearing by Zeus' fist.

"What is this?" Nico gazed around, talking to himself, "is this some joke? Am I still in Tartarus. Oh gods, I've really gone insane."

"_Child…" _the voice was soothing, like water on a burn.

The raven haired teenager gazed upwards for reasons unknown. The moon was all that greeted him.

"_Your mortal life is over," _the same voice said, "_you are here for a greater purpose."_

"Who are you?" Nico drew his sword, "tell me what's happening!"

"_I am the Man in the Moon. You've been chosen," _the voice said.

"For what?" Nico asked, pressing his hand against his chest to make sure that was in fact still alive.

There was no response.

"FOR WHAT?" He shouted up at the sky.

There was nothing but sounds on the wind to fill the night now.

"Father will explain," Nico rushed into the shadows yet again, only to be bodily pushed back out. He tried again, but only got the same result.

"Olympus," Nico breathed, focusing on the home of the gods, but yet again the shadows pushed him away.

He began to panic. He took a deep breath. Unbidden memories of Tartarus flashed in his mind. Crushing darkness. Traitor shadows. Unable to escape-

"No," Nico gazed up at the bright moon, "you're outside now. You're not in there. "

Who could he turn to? His only hope was the Romans. Hazel should be able to explain. Hazel was his only hope. He slunk into the shadows again, and this time, they obeyed him. Running fast he gazed around in an attempt to find Hazel. He wasn't surprised to find her sitting atop the roof of Hades shrine, precious gems and metals of all type gathering around as she cried. No. When Nico drew closer he noticed she wasn't crying. She was sobbing.

He climbed up onto the roof quickly but paused a foot away from her. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he sat down next to her. Not touching her yet.

"It should've been me," she was saying between heart aching sobs, "I shouldn't be alive in the first place."

"Hazel-," Nico tried to put an arm around her shoulder but it just went straight through, "-I'm right here."

"It's all my fault,"

"Hazel!" Frank yelled from down below, "We're heading for Camp Half-Blood soon! Please come down."

"I'll be back," Nico stood up, hands still stuffed in his pockets, hand unconsciously curling around his mythomagic figurine, "I promise. I just have to sort this mess out."

Into the shadows he went yet again. As he exited outside DOA Recording Studios he realised something. He wasn't even tired. It would usually wear him out to shadow travel so much, and yet he didn't even feel the littlest bit tired. He just needed to get to the Underworld. That would explain everything. Maybe Camp Half-Blood hadn't done the right funeral rites…no, they'd never done it wrong in the whole 3 millennia they'd been in business. They wouldn't do it wrong now.

There was a tugging on his jacket and he gazed down in surprise. A boy, no older than six, gazed up at him, eyes wide and rimmed with red. His red hair was in tangles, his pyjamas covered in ash, and he held a half melted action figure in his hand- melted beyond recognition. He didn't know what he found more surprising; that the kid could touch him, or that he got approached in the first place. Parents had a tendency of pulling their kids closer when he walked past.

"Excuses me, Mister," the kid stopped tugging on his shirt, "I think I'm lost."

"I don't think I can help," Nico said distractedly.

"The man in the moon said you could," the boy sucked back snot loudly, tears beginning to well, "please, Mister, I just want to go back to my mummy."

That caught Nico's attention.

Kneeling down, Nico looked into the boys blue eyes, and rested a hand on his shoulder. There was no life in this boy. Even as Nico watched, the colour seemed to be draining from the boy. Thanatos had gotten slack. It wasn't uncommon for the god of death to miss a few here and there; especially children, their souls were always so small.

For a small moment, Nico forgot about his own troubles.

"Do you know where they are?" Nico felt a slightly weight in his pocket, and he dug his hand in, only to pull out a Drachmae that hadn't been there before.

"There was a f-f-fire and-," the boy stuttered and rubbed his eyes.

Nico turned his eyes to the sky, but the night was too dark to distinguish between smoke and sky.

"Here," Nico dug out the coin and handed it to the boy, "come with me."

The son of Hades pushed open the door to DOA and entered the waiting area. As always, it was full. The walls were the usual dull grey, with matching carpet, and black leather seats. Nico moved through the crowd of the dead, who for the first time didn't beg him for coins as they usually did. Charon didn't even look at him.

"What's this?" Charon gazed down.

"Charon," Nico said in a confident voice that didn't match his thoughts.

"A little boy," the corner of the ferry man's mouth pulled down a little, "tell me, little man, do you have a coin?"

"Charon," Nico tried again.

Charon didn't hear him.

"Give him the coin," Nico said softly in defeat. The boy handed the coin upwards, and Charon looked it over for a moment before nodding.

"Go in the elevator. You're just in time for the next boat," Charon stepped down from his dais.

Nico followed behind Charon and let the boy get in the elevator. Nico tried to step in, but couldn't. It was like two positive sides of a magnet trying to touch. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't get in, and he bowed his head.

"Are you coming, Mister?" the boy asked him, eyes bright.

"I can't," Nico bit his lip, "you go."

The elevator doors shut and Nico took a step back. He couldn't enter the Underworld, he couldn't be touched, and now it seemed dead children would be drawn to him. Without even noticing he shadow traveled to his favourite cemetery in New Orleans. It was a ghostly beautiful place, with its old tombstones and intricate mausoleums. His usual hiding spot did nothing to calm his nerves or his panic.

"Is this what you want me to do? Find dead children and mother them until they reach the Underworld?" Nico shouted up at the moon, "is this why you chose me?"

"_You made a great sacrifice,_" the voice of the Man in the Moon was soft, "_you gave up your life so others may pass through the darkness and live their own."_

"So now I'm damned to be invisible forever?" Nico ran a hand through his hair, "I'm a son of Hades! Not some minion! I'm supposed to be dead. I'm supposed to be reborn with my sister!"

The night was silent yet again. Nico sunk down onto the tombstone of some confederate soldier, covering his face in his hands. He'd given up his life for the others; an unusual but necessary act. Percy had been fully prepared to close the doors himself, but he had Annabeth; he had a future. Hazel had talked briefly to him about her being the one to close the doors, but he wouldn't allow it, he wouldn't lose another sister. He was the only one who could die not lose anything. His death wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to die, and be reborn, and hope the fates would lead him back to his sister.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.


	2. Chapter 2

_~three years later~_

The raven haired son of Hades came to loath the feeling of a coin in his pocket. The light weight would drag him down, shadow his heart and make him groan internally. The weight of a coin came uncommonly though. Sometimes he could go a month, while at other times it was simply an hour before another weight would fill his pocket and an address would rush to mind. At first he thought of ignoring it, just continuing on in his quest of finding a way out of his goddamned miserable life, but then guilt would well inside him and he would soon find himself kneeling down next to a child who didn't understand the concept of death. Once he had ignored the guilt; ignored the child completely, but it seemed if he ignored it, the child would find him itself.

The first child- whose name he learnt was Mathew Riley- had been easy. The others though, they were tougher, stubborn, not wanting to leave without parents. He supposed that was the reason Thanatos had left them in the first place; death was a busy man after all, he didn't have time for stubborn or ignorant children. If they didn't find a way to DOA on their own, they would be left. It wasn't like they could cause much damage. Occasionally one would come easily; he counted those as his lucky day.

Today it seemed, was not his lucky day.

In the early morning of the hours he found a coin weigh down his pocket, an address running through his minds with it. With a sigh he turned his attention away from the large yellow McDonalds _M _that had been shining brightly and towards the shadows it cast. His stomach growled, even though he didn't feel hungry. All he really wanted was a stack of pancakes and some orange juice. That would just make his day a whole lot better.

Unfortunately, it seemed he had a job to do.

The death occurred in small town Burgess. A three month old baby boy died in his sleep from Crib Death. The spirit of the baby itself was lying happily in the bed, cooing and giggling slightly at the mobile above its head. Nico stepped out of the shadows caused by the early morning sun and picked the baby out of the crib. It giggled a little more and latched onto the headphone that dangled out of his jacket, happily amused with it.

"Hey, there…." Nico gazed at the name printed on the wall in bright letters, "….Sammy"

Nico liked the babies the best. They were so cute and pudgy; they could melt his hard heart. They didn't talk, they didn't whine, most of the time they didn't even cry. Children on the other hand, they always asked questions, always whined and cried. Sometimes he wondered how Bianca put up with him when he was younger.

He climbed out onto the roof and sat down, holding the baby against his chest, all the while pulling his duffle bag off his shoulder. He had gotten it a year and a half ago, stuffing it full with clothes and small snacks, along with his sword for when he didn't need it.

"So, you have any dead grandparents?" Nico asked casually, "any dead relatives?"

Of course, he received no answer. The baby was more amused with the snowflakes that that had began to cascade from the sky.

"What are you doing with the Wilson's baby?" a voice asked suddenly from above him.

Nico nearly got whiplash because he looked up so quickly. Above him floated a teenager. Or something that looked like a teenager. Almost unconsciously he found himself unzipping his bag one handily and gripping the hilt of his sword. Just because gods and living people couldn't see him, didn't mean monsters couldn't. They'd smell him, and that was good enough for them.

The teen didn't look like a monster though…maybe he was a sprite of some sort. He did have a sort of face you'd see commonly on sprites. His hair was white, his eyes vibrant blue, and he was so pale you could see some of the veins on his hands.

"Taking care of him," Nico glared at the teen, "what are you?"

"Spirit," the teen set down on the roof, "and what do you mean, taking care of him? He has parents-"

Sammy let out a little cry. It was a cue that maybe Nico should get moving. Souls got restless after too long out in the open. Standing up, he slung his bag over his shoulder, not even bothering to zip it up properly.

"His parents can't take care of him anymore," Nico peered over the roof at the shadows that rested against the snow.

"I'm not just going to let you take him," the staff the teen was holding was suddenly held defensively.

"I'd like to see you try and stop me," Nico smirked as he jumped off the roof, the shadows engulfing him and the baby Sammy.

He appeared right in the waiting room of DOA. Charon was waiting as usual, flicking through a suit magazine, despite the fact he had hundreds to choose from. Nico found himself drawn to an elderly couple who sat patiently in a set of chairs. They had to be a pair of new arrivals; couldn't have been here more than a day. He set the baby down on its back next to the couple and lay a coin next to it. Two more appeared in his pocket, and he set those down as well.

With his job now complete he returned to the streets of New York. Unfortunately, he happened to shadow travel right onto someone, making them shudder heavily. Nico felt an emptiness fill his chest and groaned a little bit. He still hadn't gotten used to it. It put him in a right foul mood and made him realise that there was a difference between not being noticed, and being invisible.

When he was alive he had been used to not being seen. In fact, he preferred it. He found company in a few select people, and that was enough to please him. But having someone walk through him- that just didn't feel right; it made him feel violated.

Shaking his head he moved onwards into the McDonalds he had been eyeing earlier. He jumped the counter and picked up the first available Styrofoam container of pancakes, snatching himself up some butter and maple syrup on the way.

"At least some things never change," Nico muttered as he travelled to the fire escape outside Percy's room, letting himself in through the unlocked window.

Percy was still asleep, but Nico didn't mind, he set himself down in Percy's computer chair and opened his box of pancakes, smothering them all in butter and syrup. Kicking his feet up on the desk, he started his daily morning ritual of stuffing his face while talking to Percy like the nineteen year old would hear him.

"You still drool in your sleep?" Nico smirked, pushing nearly a full pancake into his mouth and chewing heavily, "that's kind of sad. "

Five minutes later Percy's alarm clock rang for the arrival of seven o'clock. Nico watched as his cousin groggily turned it off and sat up, hair a mess, and drool still resting in the corner of his mouth. From the dark circles under Percy's eyes, he hadn't been sleeping well. Nightmares, no doubt. Percy had dealt with Tartarus well; better than most. Nico himself still found himself fearing something's. He knew for a fact Annabeth had to take sleeping pills to actually get a full night's sleep. You saw things down there that you were sure not to forget.

"You've never been a morning person, have you?" Nico questioned, watching as Percy stood up and rifled through the clothes on the floor for something clean.

His cousin had gotten a job at an aquarium shop uptown. It was a fancy place that did huge aquariums for shops, houses and even restaurants. Percy though was in-charge of taking care of the fish. Despite the fact he wasn't qualified (in the way that mattered in the mortal world), he somehow managed to get the job. He was saving for his own apartment with Annabeth; the two were still going strong. They seemed inseparable.

"You're a pig, you know that, right?"

No response.

"If you move in with Annabeth you're going to have to keep the place clean,"

Silence.

A coin weighed down his pocket.

"I'll see you later, then," Nico abandoned the pancake box and stood up, heading over to the window, smirking as he watched Percy find the still warm box. His cousin shook his head before heading out for a shower.

Throughout the day he only had two more children. One was a bratty nine year old who refused to leave without his IPhone, while the other was a girl from a small Chinese village who really wanted to go to the beach. Nico took her, and watched as she built a sandcastle, before handing her over into the care of Charon.

By then night had fallen. He stepped into the shadows and let them take them wherever they wanted to. He emerged in a forest that was covered in thick snow. The trees were tall and thin, while the sky above was dark and foreboding. A snow storm would be coming. Nico scowled slightly as he tried to find a place to settle for the night; maybe a low lying branch. As he walked he kicked up the snow and drew his sword. He'd cut some wood to make a fire; he didn't want to be cold all night.

As he walked he cut some branches, trying to find the least wet ones he could. The forest around him seemed almost dead. There was no life to it; no whispering nymphs or chattering animals. It was eerily silent. The son of Hades found himself a nice clearing that wasn't too affected by the snow. Dumping the sticks on the ground he pulled out some old newspaper and chucked it on top before pulling out some matches and starting to attempt to light it up.

Something felt odd about this place. The shadows seemed to quiver ever so slightly, as if scared, while the animals avoided the area completely. Nico gazed around; the only thing odd about the clearing was what appeared to be a blocked up sink hole. His shadow seemed to stretch unnaturally long towards the hole, as if trying to be drawn in.

Standing up and stepping away from his fire, the son of Hades walked over to the hole and knelt down next to it. Pressing his hand into the dirt he felt something peculiar in the ground. Unnatural amount of sand for the area, a large cavernous area that wasn't caused by anything natural, along with an odd vibration that ran up his hand. Taking his sword of the sheath, he stuck it in the middle of the hole, trying to see if he could sense it better through the stygian iron blade. He felt a sharp tug from his heart. The feeling of being drained rushed through him. Memories of monsters in the dark, sharp fiery pain, and hidden voices filled him. He closed his eyes tightly and drew his sword out, landing hard on his back, panting heavily.

As Nico sat up, the shadows seemed to shift unnaturally, moving towards him, making his heart beat faster. The shadows in Tartarus had done exactly the same thing. He scrambled back a little bit, hands sinking into the dirt, the ground shaking slightly. That made the shadows retreat slightly, and Nico calm down.

"Just a trick of the light," Nico moved closer to the fire and lay down, head resting against his soft duffle bag. He removed his sword and rested it on the ground next to him. He swore to himself he would check it out in the morning.

_~THIS IS A LINE BREAK~_

Down below, in a vast cavern of stone, Pitchiner Black stirred. Shadows surged at him; not his own. He breathed deeply, relishing the feeling. There was such fear! Such self-loathing! It was beautiful. He patted the shadows, a smirk forming on his lips as he felt them pulse with power. These were different….these were so much more intricate then the shadows he had encountered and created previously. It was like they had a mind of their own.

"Oh, yes," Pitch smirked as he eyed them, "you'll do perfectly."

His laughter echoed around the chamber.

_~THIS IS A LINE BREAK~_

Jack Frost was surprised to find someone sleeping in the woods; let alone so close to Pitches' former lair. People avoided that place like the plague. Even the spirit of Winter had to admit he didn't like the vibes the place put off. He checked in on it though occasionally; just to makes sure the hole hadn't reopened. You could never be too careful, after all.

Jack perched high on a branch, trying to get a look good at the person. He was covered in a light blanket of snow that Jack had the wind blow away. It revealed a worn black aviators jacket, black jeans, combat books, and a mess of raven hair; but more importantly, a sword.

It rested in the snow right in arms reach of the sleeping teenager who couldn't be more then sixteen. Already Jack could tell it wasn't some fake kids played with. The sheath was a deadly black, as black as a nightmare, and had a long belt chain hanging off it. It had to be at least three feet long. The shape seemed to be pretty basic, nothing like North's wicked sharp double swords, but even in its sheath it looked deadly.

Curiosity got the better of the white haired spirit. He hopped down from his perch and silently moved across the snow, bending down in front of the sword and the sleeping teen. Jack cocked his head to the side and stared at the sleeping figure. It was the same person he'd seen making away with baby Sammy! Or….a duplicate of baby Sammy….seeing as the little boy had passed away in the early mornings of the day.

So this guy was obviously a spirit of some kind. If Jack had to guess of appearances, he'd have to guess grim reapers apprentice or something. The kid looked like death warmed up; even in sleep he didn't look peaceful or comfortable.

Reached out, Jack picked up the sword, surprised at its weight. Standing up and taking a step back he drew it out of its sheath and stared at it in awe. The sword itself was as dark as the sheath, and yet somehow seemed to glow slightly, even in the dull light of the morning. Jack couldn't see a single flaw, nick, or scratch; if anything, it looked polished. He touched the blade a shot of cold- something Jack had not experienced in three hundred years-shot up his fingers and arm, making him wince and step back in surprise.

"Wow-"

He was suddenly dragged downwards into the snow, his staff (which had been previously hooked onto his arm) scattered away, alarmingly close to Pitch's hole. He somehow managed to keep a hold on the sword though, but a knee pressed hard into his exposed back as he was pinned to the ground, while something alarmingly cold was pressed into the back of his neck.

"I suggest you let go of the sword," the voice was the same as yesterday morning, slightly accented with something Jack couldn't identify.

Jack dropped the sword and watched as a deathly pale hand came into view and snatched it away.

"Hey, I didn't mean any harm, I just wanted to have a look, that's all," it came out slightly muffled seeing as his face was pressed sideways into the dirt.

"Oh, it's you," The weight was removed from his back and Jack carefully stood up, watching as the teen slid the sword into the sheath and looped it through his belt rings; all the while keeping his back turned to Jack, who found it extremely insulting. Did he honestly not think in any way that Jack was a threat?

The wind blew the staff over to Jack's feet, and he picked it up, carefully placing it over one shoulder as he paced around into the teens line of view.

"I could say the same thing, baby snatcher," Jack smirked a little, watching the teen sling his bag over his shoulder.

Their eyes met and for the first time Jack got a proper look at them. At first they appeared to be pure black, but then Jack saw they were actually a shadowed chocolate brown. There was something in there though; a spark. It looked like the spark of a mad man.

"I'm not a baby snatcher," the teen snapped starting to walk away.

Gathering snow in his hand Jack blew on it before throwing it. It hit its target and hit the teen right in the center of his raven hair covered head. The snow stuck for a moment before slowly working its way off. The sixteen year old shook his head like a dog, getting rid of the snow.

"Are you trying to start a fight?" He gazed over his shoulder at Jack.

"I just want answers," Jack shrugged as he leant against his staff, "so what are you?"

"I don't know," the teen spun around, "ask him," he jerked his head up to the barely visible moon.

"I have, he's not the most talkative guy," he blew his hair out of his eyes, "how about something simpler? What's your name? You do know that, right?"

"My names Nico," the shadows seemed to thicken around the clearing as the teen said that, and that made Jack uneasy.

"See, not so hard," Jack chuckled a little, "I'm Jack Frost."

"Jack Frost is just something made up by the Vikings to explain winter," Nico deadpanned obviously.

"Yet here I am," he knew he shouldn't be smirking.

"Try not to nip my nose," Nico turned around and headed for the tree line, but Jack flew over his head, and blocked his path.

"You mustn't have talked to anybody in a while, your social skills suck," antagonising people was the only way Jack could really keep up a solid conversation.

"I could say the same for you," Nico suddenly glanced down at his pocket and sighed.

The winter spirit watched in surprise as Nico suddenly sunk into a shadow cast by a tree. A shudder ran up in involuntarily as he thought of Pitch.

"Try not to make it snow too hard, not everybody likes snow," Nico called from the tree line, and Jack turned just in time to see him disappear again.

The little trick resemble Pitchs' too much. Jack shot into the air, wanting to be rid of the clearing as soon as possible. There was something to it that Jack just didn't like.


	3. Chapter 3

It was sad to say that libraries had become Nico's second home. Whatever little free time he would have would be spent in various libraries in various countries. He'd spent a week in Greece, breaking into their national archives just to read some tablets and scripts to see if there were anything about putting a soul in a body, but he turned up empty. Nico regretted not reading books in his father's library when he had the chance.

Now he was currently in the archives below the Vatican. His Italian was rusty, but he managed, his Latin helped him with the older texts. Page after page he couldn't find anything. Day after day he would be left with a headache and a feeling of hopelessness. There was nothing; it seemed to be a general believe that the dead should stay dead.

He munched on a Snicker as he leaned back and kicked his feet up onto the table. Another dead end. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. What he really needed was a god's knowledge. Unfortunately; the gods couldn't see him. He'd tracked down the Hunters of Artemis and yelled until his lungs let out, but yet, still nothing. Artemis hadn't even battered an eyelid. Thalia was absent from the hunt for a while, for his funeral prier with the Romans, but she soon returned to her usual self; if not a little deflated.

"This is so useless," Nico muttered to himself as he stood up, walking through the shadows and immerging in a penthouse suite at some random hotel in Vegas.

He'd stay here the night if no one else was going to check in. Nothing put him in a better mood then a satisfying sleep. Chucking his bag on the bed he travelled quickly to a local library, piling his arms high with books on Egyptian mythology. Seeing as Roman, Norse and Greek were dead ends, he supposed it was time to move onto something else. He wished that he would just be able to ask Anubis, but it seemed he was invisible to all.

"I need to find a laundry place," Nico eyed his jacket with a disgruntled frown. With a sigh he pulled it off and stripped down to his boxers before grabbing new clothes and heading into the shower.

He had acquired a lot of grime over the past week; mostly from sleeping on the ground. He had ash and foliage in his hair from sleeping on the ground last night. As he scrubbed down his body he thought of the spirit; Jack Frost. More of a sprite really in Nico's eyes. He seemed harmless enough, he had good aim, and nerves of steel (people never used to approach Nico, let alone throw things at him), and guessing from the twine leggings he was older than him both in appearance and actual years. There was something about how the wind reacted to Jack; it acted like shadows to Nico. There to help if needed, a trusted companion.

The son of Hades had only encountered two other spirits before. One was the Sandman, who had waved cheerily as he passed overhead one night on a cloud of golden sand. The other was the groundhog- Nico did not want to experience that again-the furry little creature had chewed him out for sleeping on top of his hole. It wasn't like Nico knew.

As Nico exited the shower he felt something odd. The shadows seemed to rush to him and pool at his feet, quivering slightly, as if afraid. More shadows rushed in under the door, moving like ink in their rush to escape whatever was on the other side.

Changing hastily he opened the door, hair still sopping wet, shadows clinging to him like scared children. When Nico saw what was causing it, he cocked his head to the side, trying to get a reading off this man. He was tall, that Nico could tell even from the man's sitting position, his skin was a light grey, while his face was oddly pointed, eyebrow less, with the main attraction of golden eyes that flickered grey. In fact, his whole appearance seemed to flicker.

In his hand he held one of the books Nico had previously acquired from the library. The son of Hades bent down to his boots which rested by the door, and pulled out the sharp Stygian Iron dagger from the compartment he had installed years before hand.

"Interesting book," the voice was accented heavily English, "though I don't know why you concern yourself with such mortal folly."

"None of your business," Nico held the blade in clear sight.

"No need for that, I just want to talk," the man set the book down and gazed at him.

Nico gazed down at the shadows that still clung to him then back to the man, "who are you?"

"Pitch Black," the man stood up and offered a hand that Nico shook begrudgingly. There it was again, that sapping feeling. Pulling his hand away quickly, he stuffed it in his pocket.

"Your parents must really hate you," Nico said with a quirked eyebrow.

"That is merely a given name; my real name is much too wordy for conversation," Pitch sat back down, "and yours?"

"Nico," he resisted the urge to tap his foot.

"No last name?" a smirk played at the grey man's mouth.

"Di Angelo," Nico sat up on a desk, resting his elbows on his knees, "so, Pitch, what are you doing here?"

"I want to discuss a business deal," Pitch gazed at his nails, "we have a similar set of skills, you see, together we could get things done a lot quicker."

"And what skills are those?" Nico asked sceptically.

"Shadows and darkness," Pitch chuckled as he gazed at the shadows that still clung to Nico, "though it seems yours are more loyal."

"I work alone, sorry," Nico knelt down and pulled up one of his boots. He began slipping on his socks as he talked, "besides, I doubt we have the same interests in mind."

"We both want to be believed in," Pitch stood up and gripped his hands behind his back.

"What does that have to do with anything? We're not some children's tale," the son of Hades commented, tying his shoes up as he went.

"You really are young," Pitch frowned at him, "surely you've had people walk through you? Like you're nothing?"

"It's a common occurrence," Nico was listening intently now.

"It's a horrible curse dealt to those who associate with the Man in the Moon. You see, all these stories about the _Easter Bunny _and _Santa Clause_, they're true. They exist and they thrive because they are believed in," Pitch said the names with distaste, "we are just like them, and yet we're not believed in, because they steal the spotlight."

Nico thought for a moment. It made sense. To be believed in, have stories told about you, become lore…..he wasn't anything. No one would want to tell their kids about the teen who comes and takes them to the Underworld? Bitterness welled inside him. Was he doomed to be invisible forever?

"You see now?" Pitch seemed to be getting excited, "no one wants to tell their children about the 'unimportant' ones. Together we could make ourselves important. We could become legends!"

"How?" Nico couldn't deny his interest was sparked.

"We have to get rid of those who are stealing the spotlight," Pitch smiled at him, "shift them into the darkness."

Nico's brow drew together, "you want to get rid of Santa Clause?"

"I want to be believed in! Don't you?" Pitch stepped forward, "Don't you want to be seen? Aren't you tired of being walked through? Don't you want to see your cousin again? To be able to talk to him?"

"How do you know about Percy?" he tried to ignore the part of him that wanted to cry out _yes!_

"You're afraid of seeing him grow old and die, while you'll be stuck like this, you're afraid of becoming nothing more than a memory," Pitch shook his head, "we can stop that happening; together."

Nico hated himself for hesitating for so long. He should've just said _no_, but part of him wanted to say yes. Soon enough though, the morally correct answer came to his lips.

"No," the son of Hades stood up and slipped his knife back into his boot, "I can't do that."

"Then we part ways as neutral parties," Pitch smiled at him, surprisingly calm at the denial of the offer, but yet again he held out a hand to shake, "enjoy the rest of your life."

Nico shook the hand again, and this time, he felt something slip into his hand. Pitch smiled at him.

"Just in case you change your mind," and so the grey man left with a wink, disappearing into the shadows without a sound.

Nico sat down on the bed and looked at the small pouch in his hand. There was something hard and heavy inside. Opening up the black back he reached in a winced as he cut his finger on whatever it was. Pulling out he rested it in one hand, while he sucked the blood from the cut on top of his finger. It seemed to be a jewel; sharp, dark as night and heavier than it should be. Nico would've first mistaken it for onyx, but it wasn't that. Holding it up to the light he saw that it was in fact see through. This wasn't a natural jewel.

Shaking his head, he put it back into the bag, and removed his finger from his mouth. It was just a small scratch that was already healing. Nothing major.

"Santa Clause is real, who knew?" Was the only thing Nico could find himself being able to say, "maybe I should pay a visit to the North Pole…."

He looked at his duffle.

"Laundry first," he mused.

_~This is a Line Break~_

"We have an incisor in Ohio- someone just lost their first tooth in Jakarta- wait, someone just had a molar removed in Trinity-" Tooth fluttered around, rushing orders to her mini fairies.

"Ever heard of a chill pill?" Jack floated above her, surrounded by buzzing mini fairies.

"My work never stops, Jack," Tooth frowned as she buzzed up to him, "ladies! We have work to do! A little league hockey game in Toronto just turned violent. Get to it!"

The girls sighed a little bit before squawking goodbyes and fluttering away to work. Jack smiled at them, and one fell straight out of the air, only to gather itself and head back to work, shaking a little bit.

"You distract them far too much!" Tooth slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"I can leave if you want," Jack quirked an eyebrow as he adjusted his staff position.

"No stay," Tooth paused to give some more orders, "you're a breath of fresh air. Its winter sport season and you know how violent that can be. So many teeth are being knocked out; I hardly know what to do with myself. Just yesterday little Timothy lost his first tooth. Want to see?"

"Oh, no, I'm good thanks," Jack tried to say as politely as possible.

Tooth blushed a little, "sometimes I forget people aren't as obsessed with teeth as I am…."

Jack chuckled a little at that, but was nearly knocked out of the air as a swarm and mini-tooths suddenly swarmed towards Toothiana. They all seemed to be talking quickly and in a panic. Tooth covered her hand with her mouth while her feathers bristled a little bit.

"Oh no," the feathered guardians of memories zoomed away so quickly, Jack had to make the wind go double time just for him to be able catch up.

They entered a long, large, fast camber that seemed to stretch forever. Areas were separated by columns, while at the top was a time range of a decade. Tooth flew into the time range of _1990-2000_ and Jack followed behind, watching as she stopped at a hole in the wall.

"What is it?" Jack questioned.

"A memory box is missing," Tooth stuck her small hand into the hole and pulled it out immediately, finding her fingertips covered in black sand.

"Pitch?" Jack questioned in surprise as he took up some of the sand himself, "whose memory box is it?"

Tooth seemed to be in a frenzy, "uh…oh, why can't I remember?" She fluttered around but it suddenly came to her, "Bianca Di Angelo! She was very different…born before the war and yet lost her last baby tooth in the early nineties…the fairy going to get it took a week just to retrieve it."

A mini-tooth fluttered up to her, chattering nervously.

"There's more?" Tooth seemed to look a little faint. That didn't stop her from speeding over to the area marked _2000-2010_.

Another empty slot,

"Ooh this is not good," Tooth turned around in a circle.

"What box is missing now?" Jack tried to keep up as he pulled more black sand from one of the hole.

Tooth's eyes widened, "Nico Di Angelo…"

Jack first thought of the dark haired spirit he had met previously, but quickly shooed away the name, it could be common.

"I'm guessing the Di Angelo's are siblings?" Jack had no idea how to even attempt to start calming down the flustered rainbow winged woman.

"This doesn't make any sense," Tooth pursed her lips, "the Di Angelo siblings are both dead. Oh, I have to tell North."

"Is there anything special about them? Strong believers, maybe?"

"No, no," Tooth flew out of the halls and to the lake by the painting, "oh, it was so long ago. It was like they were mortal and yet immortal. We think it had something to do with their father; it was only thought. We didn't dig much into it though because of the restrictions."

"Who's their father?" Jack asked curiously.

"Hades," Tooth rested her hand in the empty hole, "demigod memories are always special. They have so few happy memories."

Jack knew a little about the 'gods'. When he was first created he had tried to spread snow to an area on Long Island, only to find he couldn't enter; and the same went for an area in San Francisco. A nymph in the trees had explained to him about the gods, but had warned him that the gods didn't believe in such silly mortal things as fairy tales, so they couldn't see them. At first Jack had been confused, but then he had understood, thanks to the nymph. She had also given him her address, which was confusing, seeing as a she was a tree most of the time.

"We have to tell North," Jack didn't leave any room for argument, "Pitch has to be up to something with those memories."

Tooth rushed out orders to her fairies before leaving. With the help of the wind, they made it to North's workshop in record time. The workshop was filled with busy yetis and scurrying elves who were trying to beat the Christmas crunch. With three weeks to go, they still had a lot of work to do, and North himself was busy walking around the main floor.

"Purple is not Christmas colour!" North said as he inspected a stocking that a yeti was sewing, "make it red."

The yeti garbled something and trudged off, not looking at all pleased. North spun around found himself face to face with a very flustered tooth. The large bearded man took a step back in surprise, eyes widening slightly.

"Tooth! Jack! Good to see you-"

"Pitch is back," Tooth cut him off, fluttering nervously.

"Don't be silly, Toothiana, it has only been three years!-" the Cossack laughed a little.

"He took memories again," Jack cut in, "he left sand. It's like he wanted us to know he took them."

"Are you positive it is Pitch?" North rubbed his face, "it is too close to Christmas! Why can he not pick reasonable time to try and destroy us?"

That night, the Northern Lights shined so bright that people all over the world spent the next two days trying to explain it.


	4. Chapter 4

"There better be a good reason you brought me all the way 'ere, North," Bunnymund- the last to arrive- said as he immerged in the workshop, shaking off snow from his massive hind paws as he went, "I have new egg designs-"

"Pitch is back," North cut the massive bunny short.

"Oh, come on!" Bunny stuck his paw as close to the fire as he could without getting burnt, "it's been three years! And don't tell me you can feel it in yer belly."

The six foot tall bunny took an egg from the pouch at his belt, along with a paintbrush already dipped in pale violet. With the upmost care he then began painting intricate designs on it; he cast a complete contrast to his appearance. You wouldn't expect a creature so big and surly looking to be painting eggs.

"He stole some memories," Tooth paused in her rapid instruction giving to her fairies.

"Can't he be a bit more original?" An exasperated sound echoed below the strong Australian accent, "He's already done that!"

"He only took two this time," Jack was perched up on his staff, balanced perfectly despite the thing purchase. Bunny glared at the teen for a moment, planning a witty response, but then he realised what it could mean.

"Only two?" he paused in the painting of his egg, moving towards the center of the group, kicking into Jack's staff just for the fun of it. The teenager wobbled before falling, but as always, the wind caught him, "whose?"

"Nico and Bianca Di Angelo," North moved to the bannister and quickly shouted down an order to his yetis before continuing, "two demigod siblings with a peculiar act of not aging- we think it is because of their father- Hades."

"Why don' we just go an' ask 'em?" Bunny's accent thickened momentarily.

"They're dead," Jack deadpanned as he floated down onto a desk.

"Oh," Bunny paused yet again, "then why would he taken 'em?"

"That is what we are here to figure out," North stroked his beard, and the other three watched him, waiting for the white haired man to respond. Behind them, the gold figure of the Sandman was trying to gather the fours attention.

"We know that they're demigods; that in itself is suspicious," Tooth mused as she fluttered just centimeters off the ground, "and the fact that they're children of Hades is worrisome."

"Why?" Jack questioned squatting away the short and stout man.

"Frost, your brain is cactus-"

"Did you just call me a cactus?" Jack asked the large Australian bunny.

"It means not functioning," Tooth translated the slang for him, "he's calling you dumb."

"Hey!" Jack said in an outrage, "bad enough you insult me, but does it have to be in a language I can't understand-"

Jack would've continued but eggnog was suddenly poured on his head from above. It froze solid within seconds of being in contact with his cold aura, causing his hair to stick up in an odd direction one way, while lay flat at the other. Frozen droplets decorated his pale cheeks and clung to his long eyelashes.

"Sandy!" Jack gazed up at the disgruntled dream bringer, "this is going to take forever to get out."

The teenager pulled off his trademark blue jumper to reveal a yellowing- previously white- blouse underneath. Tooth suppressed laughter while Bunny raised an eyebrow. They had all expected Jack not to wear anything under the jumper. It seemed they were wrong.

"You just come from a renaissance fair, Frost?" Bunny smirked.

"It's colonial. Learn your dates," Jack began shaking out his jumper, getting rid of the now melted eggnog, "What's up, Sandy?"

The man pointed at the skylight that allowed the moons light to shine through. It was focusing on a silver _G _inscribed into the ground. Four of the five members knew what that meant. The other was rather bemused.

"That'd be right; just what we need, another Guardian," Bunny hopped over to the plate in the ground.

"He's choosing another guardian?" Jack floated over and stayed in the air so he could peer down onto the _G _without getting a blocked view.

"If it's Groundhog I swear the sh-"

"Thank you, Bunny, no need for colourful language," North cut Bunny off quickly, "must be serious if Manny is choosing another Guardian soon."

"Ooh, I hope its Elizabeth-"

"You really want the spirit of summer? Do you want me to melt?" Jack questioned from next to her, making her blush.

North hushed them all as they watched a black marble podium rise out of the ground. For Jack, the podium had been made of ice, but now it seemed something darker was more appropriate. It stopped rising and smoke (or was it shadows) started to reach upwards in tendrils to make a form. It was a boy- a teenager by the looks of it- wearing a WWII style aviator's jacket, jeans, while a sword was strapped to his side.

"I know him," Jack said suddenly as he floated down closer. An odd feeling radiated off the stone, making him suppress a shudder, "his names Nico, I met him yesterday."

Everyone in the room paused for a moment, letting it sink in, Tooth was the first to speak.

"You don't think this could be Nico Di Angelo?" Tooth fluttered around the figure, while North peered in closer.

"He does look to be right age," the Russian mused before looking up at the moon, "Manny says he is very young but very wise."

"Reminds me a bit of Pitch, don't yeh think?" Bunny shook his head, "shadows, bad vibes….something doesn't feel right 'bout this kid."

"Don't judge him until you've met him, Bunny," Tooth chastised.

"Then let's go meet him!" North said happily, "I shall go get the sack."

Sandy shook his head furiously, and everyone paused to pay attention to him. Above his head appeared a figure with a sword, and then someone sneaking up on the first figure, the second person ended up being run through with a sword.

"Ah, good point Sandy," North rested a hand against his chin, "he must be fighter if he has a sword. We need new plan. Jack, what do you know about him?"

"I only met him once," Jack held up his hands in defense as he pulled his jumper back on, flinging frosty eggnog from his hair as he went.

"Man in Moon is gone for moment; you are our best source of information," Everyones eyes were suddenly on the white haired spirit.

"Well, I have a theory he's a child snatcher, if that helps anything," Jack sat down again, watching as the stone and shadows disappeared again. "I saw him in Burgess yesterday morning, sitting with a baby on a roof, so I went to go investigate figuring he was too old to see me.

"And well he saw me then jumped into the shadows with the baby. I later learned that the baby had died that morning on crib death," Jack smiled nervously.

Sandy made an image of someone holding a floating ball of light. It didn't make sense to Jack, but it seemed that Bunny understood. With an exaggerated wave of his paintbrush, he explained;

"So he's some sort of soul collector. Makes sense when you look at his father," the Pooka put away the egg and scratched his chin, "anything else?"

"He is not a people person," the winter spirit ran a hand through his hair, loosening the white strands, "and he's more of a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy."

"The real question is how do we find him?" the colourful half hummingbird mused.

"I suppose we hunt for 'im," Bunny frowned at that.

"I cannot, too close to Christmas," North shook his head.

"Well then, you stay here and we'll keep an eye out," Tooth said before Bunny could chew out the Christmas idol, "I'll have my mini fairies keep an eye out, while Jack and Sandy can keep an eye out on their rounds."

"You're just lucky it's not close to Easter," Bunny threatened before shaking his head, "lets just hope I'm wrong about this bloke."

_~This is a Line Break~_

"_Look Bianca! A shooting star," the small raven haired boy climbed onto the window seal of their bedroom._

_His sister came out of the bathroom, brushing her silky dark hair with a comb. For a moment she seemed to sigh, but it went unnoticed by the six year old boy. Sitting down next to her brother, she draped an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close before leaning in and saying;_

"_Make a wish, Nico" _

_Nico shut his eyes tight and got a look of extreme concentration on his face. After a second he opened his eyes, a large smile on his face, brown eyes twinkling with a hint of madness._

"_Well, what did you wish for?" Bianca questioned._

"_Not telling," Nico escaped from his sister's hold and jumped up onto the bed were his mythomagic cards rested._

"_You better tell me," Bianca moved off the window seal and headed towards the bed._

"_It ruins the wish!" Nico giggled slightly._

"_I'll just have to tickle it out of you," Bianca picked him up off the bed easily and began tickling his sides, easily avoiding the kicks her brother threw at her. The child-like laughter filled the room, and despite herself, Bianca couldn't help but smile._

"_Stop!" Nico barely got the words out between laughter._

"_Tell me then!" Bianca laughed a little as she lifted her hands from her brother._

"_I wished-" he panted, "-that we could be a family again! With a mum and dad and-"_

_Bianca froze for a moment, face a mixture of shock and hurt, very gently, she looked into Nico's eyes and said; "we _are _a family. It might not be like normal families, but its good, right?"_

"_Yeah, I suppose," _

_Bianca watched sadly as her brother left to go and play with games. Did her brother really think they weren't a family?_

Nico rocketed up right in the bed, lost in a tangle of sheets and oversized pillows, feeling sticky and raw. His attempt to get out of bed didn't work out as planned. His legs were too tangled, and that lead him to be unable to right himself, so his face met the carpet with a loud groan.

"Crap," he muttered to nobody, dragging his body off the bed, along with a large selection of the sheets.

It took him a total of three minutes to untangle himself, and afterwards he was rather disgruntled. There was soft pounding behind his eyes; the beginning of a headache- no doubt-and his body felt rather stiff. Grumbling to himself, he grabbed his jacket and checked the pocket, and much to his delight, found no coin waiting for him.

After a shower he felt a little better. He packed up his things and looked at his watch. There was a good hour until sunrise in Vegas, and that meant New York was already up and running. On his way towards the big city, he picked up some Starbucks (luckily some guy seemed to be ordering a double espresso) and a box of pancakes. He chose to settle down besides Thalia's Pine, pulling out a book to read as he went.

"Where's Anubis when you need him?" Nico rubbed his forehead, headache mounting even higher because of his dyslexia, "this makes no sense."

"_I told you Nico, you just can't give up!"_

Nico's head shot up and he gazed around wildly trying to pinpoint the voice. His hand slipped down to his boot and gripped the dagger that was hidden there. He paused for a moment before relaxing as he shook his head. Just memories. Rubbing his forehead again, he turned his attention back to the book.

Well, he tried to pay attention to the book. Something zoomed up right in his face in a flash of blue, green and yellow. He scrambled backwards but the thing just drove in closer. Abandoning the book, he drew his dagger, and that certainly made it back away. Nico nearly went cross-eyed trying to see it. It buzzed right at the tip of the blade, a tooth held in its tiny hands, and if the son of Hades had to guess what it was, he'd have to say hummingbird, but the more he looked the more he realised it wasn't.

The wings weren't right, the patches of human skin was out of place, along with the very intelligent vibrant pink eyes. Nico gazed at it for a moment down the length of the blade, frowning slightly as it let out a series of high pitched noises and flew away.

It took Nico a moment to process that what just occurred actually did happen.

"Must be a new invention from Cabin Nine," Nico muttered as he picked up his book and put his blade away. He flicked through until he found his page and began reading again. Unfortunately, the weight of a coin in his pocket made him sigh and stand.

Gathering his things he sighed and thought of the address- Rome, he could do this. After the Titan War he had struggled through Italian lessons to master the language, and now it seemed it was finally becoming useful.

He left just as Bunnymund arrived.

"You've got to be kidding me," the Australian bunny grumbled.

The son of Hades landed on the busy streets of Rome outside an apartment. Police rushed into the building while the sound of gunshots echoed down the street. A shooting, just what he needed, shootings always meant teary eyed children. With this headache, he wasn't sure he could handle it.

He found the spirit- a boy of the age of four- crying on the sidewalk. Nico knelt down next to the dark haired boy and said in Italian;

"I need you to come with me,"

The boy glanced up; "my mama-"

"You'll see her soon," Nico promised. No doubt the mother was dead. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. A mother who just lost a child would no doubt be distraught in the streets.

"I want to see her now!" the child's Italian was broken by his cries.

"Then come with me," Nico felt the headache throb painfully again, "you'll see her in a second."

"You promise?" the little boy rubbed his eyes.

"Promise," Nico picked the boy up, "this will feel weird. Just try not to vomit."

"_If you eat that much candy you'll vomit!"_

There it was again, that voice on the wind, merely a whisper and yet it was deafening. Nico closed his eyes to collet himself before travelling through the shadows to DOA. The little boy clung tightly onto his jacket and looked extremely pale- if it was from death or the trip, Nico couldn't tell.

"Mama!" the boy suddenly tore himself from Nico and raced towards a rather petite women who sat in the chairs.

"Nicolas!" the women embraced the boy, "oh Nicolas I thought I had lost you…."

Nico dropped two coins on the table next to them before leaving. He headed out onto the street and sighed. Rubbing his face he travelled back to Camp Half-Blood, suddenly feeling very weary. The headache had reached new heights and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Though it was still light out, he made himself comfortable against Thalia's Pine and began to drift off to sleep, zipping up his jacket to keep out winter's bitter chill.

_~This is a Line Break~_

"This Brumby better not disappear again," Bunny muttered as he pulled himself out of his hole, "I'm not going to keep chasing him all over the country side."

No one was there to reply.

Luckily, the teen was asleep. Bunny paused for a moment, cocking his head to the side, bemused at the kid's appearance. He was as pale as Jack, with a red flush in his cheeks and a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, the sweat making his hair stick to his forehead. He was curled in on himself slightly, the large aviator's jacket making him look very small, and Bunny gazed up at the moonless sky.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bunny rolled his eyes, "first Frost now this. You sure do know how to pick 'em."

Walking over to the kid, his keen eyes picked up a small movement, a hand moving towards a boot. Guessing from the slight change in breathing patterns, the kid actually wasn't asleep, but rather doing a hell good job at faking it. As he tapped his paw twice against the extremely fertile ground, making a hole appear directly under the boy, while he himself barely moved fast enough to avoid having a dagger sink into his shoulder.

He picked up the dagger, feeling a chill radiate from it as he did, before jumping down the hole, moving so quickly that in a matter of seconds he had emerged in North's workshop. Least to say he wasn't surprised to be met by sword point.

"Someone better start explaining," the voice was most certainly American, but with a hint of Italian. It seemed both young and old.

From the corner of his eye he could see Tooth fluttering nervously, North was gripping his own two swords, Sandy was standing rather placidly next to Jack who had tightened his grip on his staff. Jack was the one to make the first move. With a simple point of his staff, a great gust of frigid air blew towards the standing off pair. Unfortunately, Nico suddenly disappeared in a bunch of shadows.

"We should've seen that coming," Bunny rubbed his nose, trying to get rid of the cold feeling the sword had left.

"I told you that we should've just talked to him!" Tooth argued as she rested close to the ground.

"Talking would've been preferred," the voice came from the shadows near the fire. Everyone turned just in time to see a pair of brown eyes hit the light. The chocolate brown seemed shadowed by something else, and there was a glint that was either madness or genius. They seemed like the eyes of a soldier.

"Well, you are here now," North put his swords down as a sign of piece, "why don't you come out and we have nice civil conversation?"

"I can't promise civil," the shadows seemed to lighten as Nico stepped out, sword still out in the open, yet pointed down at the ground. His hand suddenly moved to his pocket and everyone watched as he sighed; "you have two minutes."

"Then best we get started!"


	5. Chapter 5

Nico did not like his current situation. In an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar, funny looking people, who all stared at him with different emotions. The large one a long white beard and white hair was eyeing him with bright eyes and slight excitement, while the large six foot Bunny was sending him glares and warning glances. Then there was the bright feather human hummingbird…thing that was smiling so brightly at him he was disturbed, while behind her a stout man Nico recognised as the Sandman was giving him a golden thumbs up. Then there was Jack Frost who was munching on a cookie, looking slightly disinterested.

"I am Nicolas St. North; but you can call me North," the man smiled at him.

"Santa Clause is Russian, who knew?" Nico said sarcastically as he put his hilt of the sword into the ground and leant on it slightly. If that man was Santa then this would have to be his workshop, guessing from the overabundance of Christmas decorations and toys.

"I get that a lot," he stepped forward, "who are you?"

"Nico," he answered simply.

"We know that much, ya gumby," the Australian Bunny answered, "what's yer last name?"

"Why are you Australian? Aren't bunny's an introduced species?" Nico let his tongue slip.

"What you trying to say-"

"My last names Di Angelo," Nico swiveled his gaze back to North, "what of it?"

"Well, Nico Di Angelo-"the man's Russian accent slaughtered the pronunciation of the Italian surname so much that Nico winced a little, "-you have been chosen!"

Nico shuddered internally at the choice of the word.

"For what?" his face was blank as he answered.

"To be Guardian!" North boomed like it was some big affair, "I would have trumpets but elves refuse to do it again."

"No," Nico didn't even think about it.

The multi-coloured women flew forward so fast that on instinct Nico raised his sword. She stopped short just of the point and rested two fingers on the flat of the blade as she pushed it away. It didn't go unnoticed by Nico how she rubbed her fingers in an attempt to warm them up afterwards.

"You haven't even heard us out;" her voice was sweet and warm, "the Man in the Moon chose you to become a Guardian so that you can help us save the children."

"The last time the Man in the Moon chose me for something I ended up being invisible for three years," Nico snapped sourly.

"_Holding grudges is a dangerous thing for a child of Hades. It's our fatal flaw."_

"We've all had to go through that before," The large bunny rolled his eyes, "Jack was invisible for three hundred, so stop your complainin'."

The unusually dormant headache began to form again. With the combined heat of the fire and his heavy jacket he was becoming a human sauna. He stuck his sword in the ground again before taking off his jacket and resting it over the hilt of the sword.

"Just ignore Bunny," the women blocked his view of the oversized rodent, "he chose you specifically for a reason. We think it might be because you can help us understand why Pitch stole your memories."

Nico's already frazzled mind went into overdrive. Pitch Black stole his memories? No, not possible. Only gods had that power and if he didn't have his memories, he think he would've noticed. Even if he was bathed in the river Lethe he wouldn't even be able to remember his own name.

"I think I'd notice if someone stole my memories," Nico folded his arms over his chest.

"Not those kinds of memories," she corrected, "the memories of childhood. They're locked inside your baby teeth so when needed we can help you remember the good and happy times. You see, I'm Toothiana- Tooth for short- and I'm the Guardian of memories. Bunny over there is the Guardian of Hope, Jack is the Guardian of Fun, Sandy is the Guardian of Dreams, and North is the Guardian of Wonder. We guard the things that are precious during childhood."

"Good for you," the Son of Hades draped his jacket over his arm and sheathed his sword, "your two minutes are up."

"Don't you want your memories back?" Jack spoke up for the first time, "don't you want to help us stop Pitch?"

"Pitch and I parted ways as neutral parties," Nico began turning his silver skull ring on his finger, "I'll find him myself and take care of it."

"You talked to Pitch?" North asked suddenly.

"Yeah, wanted me to team up with him, but I work alone," Nico put his jacket back on despite the heat, "now if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do."

"He has your sister's memories as well," Jack said suddenly.

Nico grit his teeth but paused none the less.

"He's probably rifled through all of them. Don't you think that it's a bit rude? I don't think your sister would like that-" Bunny started to say

Anger bubbled close to the surface and the shadows in the room responded, growing and slinking towards Nico, who was trying his very best not to make the ground shake.

"You don't even know my sister," Nico glared hard at the Bunny, "so don't even attempt to know what she would want. It's been longer than two minutes. Find someone else to help you."

He was sick of their company. The agitated shadows formed around him and he traveled to the current address that had been pestering his mind. Just as he left though, he felt something hook around his arm, and then a weight. Another person had jumped his travel. In the blackness of the shadows Nico made out the shape of a Shepard's crook attached to his arm.

Jack Frost had jumped him.

When Nico appeared in the shadow of a tree in a small Australian suburb, Jack arriving less than a millisecond after him, the world was spinning. He took a deep breath and braced himself against the tree. Jack himself seemed to be in a similar situation, though looking rather green.

Nico figured he must've caught a bug; maybe a flu. He wasn't feeling all that good lately. What he really needed was good, uninterrupted sleep. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be getting any soon.

"What was that?" Jack finally seemed to have gathered himself

"Shadow travel," Nico began walking down the street, forcing the queasy Jack to follow.

"What?"

"Every shadow is linked. If you know how, you can use them to travel," Nico looked at the numbers on the houses, "now go."

"I'm not leaving until you help us," Jack floated next to him, gazing around, "where are we?"

"It's a good thing we're immortal then, isn't it?" Nico removed his jacket, "and we're in Brisbane."

"Australia?" Jack queried, "this place doesn't get a lot of snow."

"Listen," Nico stopped outside the house where no doubt the spirit of a child waited, "I'm not becoming a Guardian, I have my own problems to take care of. I'm guessing you've defeated Pitch before. You can do it again."

"Last time it took him centuries. It's only been three years," Jack looked at the house, "what are we doing here?"

"I'm doing my job," Nico walked up the steps and tried to the door, only to find it was locked, so instead he lifted himself in through an open window.

"Which is?" Jack questioned.

"You get to make snow and spread fun. I have to deal with this," Nico gestured to the lounge room.

A mother was sobbing uncontrollably and her husband rubbed her back still looking shock. A sibling; fourteen by the looks of it, sat crying silently. Standing in the center of it all was a nine year old girl who was crying the hardest out of them all.

"Why can't you see me!"

Jack was stunned into silence.

"Hi," Nico moved forward and knelt next to her. The elder ones were more intelligent. It took more time to get them away from their families, "I'm Nico."

"You can see me? What's going on? Why is everyone-"

"Shhh," Jack watched as Nico got to her eye level, "what's your name?"

"Trinity," the girl rubbed her eyes, "am I dead? I saw a show like this once."

"You are,"

Jack's brows crinkled. Nico didn't even attempt to lie to sooth the girl, he just gave a straight answer.

"I need you to come with me," Nico stood up and removed a large coin from his pocket.

"I don't want to," the girl said stubbornly,

"No one wants to," Nico handed the coin over to her as he removed his jacket and put it into his already bulging duffel bag, "but everyone has to."

Nico took her hand and Jack knew what he was about to do. Against his better wished, he latched onto Nico again with his staff and hitched a ride. He didn't know how to describe the feeling. It was like being squished through a black tube. Everything was dark and he could feel fear build in his chest.

But then they were back in the light. While Jack gathered himself again he watched as Nico gave the girl the large coin and let her walk into the building they were stationed outside. Suddenly though, he was dragged back into the shadows, only to emerge on a snow covered fire escape in a large city.

"That's what you do?" Jack felt the snow ease his need to vomit, "you travel all over the world and collect the souls of dead children?"

"Sounds a bit grim when you put it that way," Nico said sarcastically as he lent against the window seal.

Inside Jack could see an extremely messy, deserted, blue room. Just must be some random apartment. The spirit of winter shook his head to stay focused on the problem at hand.

"What Bunny said was out of line-"

A raven eyebrow cocked as if to say _that much is obvious_

"-but we do need your help. You're the only one that would know why Pitch had your memories. He's obviously planning something against you."

"Then I will handle it myself," Nico's chocolate eyes darkened slightly, "wouldn't be the first time."

"He's going to try and get to us as well," Jack saw an opportunity, "if he gets rid of us, which means no Christmas, or Easter, no good dreams- he'll cover the world in fear."

Now he saw he had Nico's attention. Someone came into the room behind them, and Nico's eyes lightened again, and he looked almost fondly at the teenager. Jack became confused for a moment.

"Do you know him?" the white haired spirit asked.

"He's my cousin," Nico looked back at Jack, "I don't want to be a Guardian. Do you know what I want to be? Dead."

"Dead?" Jack asked in surprise, "not alive?"

"I was supposed to die. I understand the concept of death better than anybody else. You go when it's your time. Man in the Moon messed up the cycle," the son of Hades looked extremely grim.

"Well, I can't promise that if you become a Guardian you'll die," Jack hooked his staff on the rail, "but you could get believers. Maybe your cousin will have kids and they'll believe in you- maybe your cousin might believe in you. You can't lose anything.

"At least think of the children."

"You know how corny that is, right?" Nico looked away from the bedroom.

"It works in the movies," Jack shrugged with a smirk.

"You know, I used to hate children," Nico scowled, "still kind of do."

"I think you've gotten into the wrong job, then," Jack smiled slightly, "come on. Sooner we get this over with sooner I can go have some fun."

_~This is a Line Break~_

That is how Nico found himself sitting with the Tooth Fairy.

Toothiana kept staring at him every timed he talked. It was discomforting. She rested her hands under her pointed chin and watched him while one of her mini-fairies wrote down things on a note pad.

"So, what happened when you were younger. Anything that would interest Pitch?" Tooth questioned.

"There'd be nothing to do with my father," Nico kicked his feet up onto the desk and wiped his brow. He was sweating like a sinner in church, "or my family. It would just mostly be me playing video games."

"Oh, really?" Toothiana questioned, her eyes still pinned to his mouth, "what about your sister?"

"Same for her," Nico commented idly, watching as elves scurried around the floor, attempting to make toys, "why are you staring at me?"

"Sorry," she blushed a little, "you just have glorious teeth. Do you mind-" she was suddenly in his face, prying his mouth open to get a look, "-oh they're beautiful. You must've flossed every day and-"

"Tooth! Fingers out of mouth," North bellowed as he passed, arms laden with icy prototypes.

"Sorry," Tooth drew back, "I like teeth."

"I figured as much," Nico rubbed his jaw.

"Why would Pitch be interested in you?" Tooth pretended nothing had happened.

"I can control shadows, the dead, natural metals and the earth," Nico rubbed his throbbing temple, "if he's fear then he'd certainly have some interest in those things."

"Okay, that's progress," Tooth paused to give orders to her fairies, before turning her attention back to him "I'm so glad you decided to join us."

"Help, not join," Nico corrected absently as he drew his dagger and cut a stray piece of string off his shirt. He then began cleaning his nails.

"That's what Jack said, and looks at how happy he is," Tooth and Nico both turned to watch as Jack rushed past, freezing at least twelve elves in the process.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly the most cheerful person," Nico sighed.

"We noticed, mate," Bunny walked past, egg in hand.

"Why do I have a feeling we won't be getting along?" Nico smirked a little bit as the Bunny left.

"Bunny's fine, he's just a little tough on the outside, once you get to know him, he's a great guy," Tooth fluttered around a little bit and Nico sighed as a coin hit his pocket.

"I'll be back," He stood up and put away the dagger. He stood in a shadow for a moment, but nothing happened. Closing his eyes hard, he tried to travel through them, but nothing happened.

"Mate, you know the corner isn't a toilet, right?" Bunny came back into the room, watching as Nico stood in the corner, looking slightly agitated.

"Why isn't this working?" Nico suddenly drew a shadow to his hand and gazed at it. The shadows in the room shuddered uneasily.

"What isn't working?" Tooth asked as she fluttered closer.

"I can't travel," Nico didn't remove his gaze from the shadow in his hand, "I'm just going to Zimbabwe….there's nothing restricted there."

"Maybe you're just a little tired," Tooth suggested, "you are looking a little pasty."

"Being sick doesn't affect this," Nico growled angrily, "this isn't right."

Jack suddenly swooped into the room, looking extremely concerned; "guys, something isn't right."

"Is it Pitch?" Bunny asked, hand moving for a boomerang.

"The skies black," Jack was looking extremely concerned.

"Its winter Jack, the sun doesn't reach the North Pole during winter," Tooth said softly.

"No, there's no stars, no moon, no Northern Lights," Jack paused, "there's nothing."


	6. Chapter 6

"It's dark everywhere. Doesn't matter what time zone," Bunnymund bounced out of his hole, grateful for actually being allowed to create tunnels in the work shop now, "Australia is pitch black, no southern lights, nothing."

Sandy made a crescent moon over his head before making it disappear.

"You're right Sandy, no moon," Jack was up the rafters, pacing, looking rather agitated, "how could he do this?"

Almost subconsciously every eye turned to Nico, who during the past hour of investigation, had been staring off into nothing, trying to figure out _why the hell he couldn't shadow travel_. If he sensed the others gazes, he obviously didn't comment on it, instead he kept staring out at nothing.

"Is he alive?" Jack swung over a rafter, hooking his knees onto the beam and hanging upside down.

Tooth fluttered over and gently touched the pale boys shoulder. Nico jolted for a moment and said something in what everyone guessed to be Italian. He seemed to be a little out of the loop.

"Uh, Nico, language," Tooth said hesitantly as she touched his forehead, "you're burning up."

Nico blinked a couple times and rubbed his eyes; "just a flu. I've had worse," the teen stood up, looking rather skinny in his oversized shirt and jeans, "what do you need to know?"

"How could Pitch cover the whole world in shadows?" Jack questioned again, watching as Nico paced.

"Shadows are hard to control," the exaggerated hand motions Nico was making didn't go unnoticed, "you have to be strong, and the shadows have to like you; you have to do something to earn their trust."

"What did you do?" Bunny asked sceptically.

"My father rules the shadows," Nico made a hand action that screamed _you idiot, _"Pitch would have his loyal group, but that wouldn't be strong enough, he would've had to steal a shadow."

"You're not making any sense," Tooth fluttered nervously, "how can you steal shadows?"

"Everyone has shadows loyal to them," Nico gestured to his, then to North's, "we're born with them. It is possible to steal a shadow- or just a part- if you had enough parts of a shadow you could create a powerful and large one. You gain their trust, and they'll do what you want."

"So Pitch stole parts of people's shadows and ordered them to surround the earth? Why?" Jack questioned, "To get rid of the moon?"

"Maybe," Nico continued to pace, "but he is fear, isn't he? What is the most general fear among children?"

"The dark," everyone seemed to answer at once.

"But people have lights," Bunny countered.

"Small farming towns, outback towns, and most third-world countries will have a lack of lights," Jack thought, "they start to fear, he gets stronger. It's like he's using their fear to charge himself up for something."

"Can you get rid of them?" North questioned Nico.

"They're not loyal to me anymore," Nico held back a shudder as memories of the dark in Tartarus came to him. Those shadows hadn't been loyal to him either. He didn't want to have to deal with those again. He folded his arms, suddenly feeling a bit cold, "some are, but not those ones."

"So yer sayin' there's nothin' we can do about it?" Bunny questioned.

"At the moment, no," Nico paused for a moment, hand going to rest on his sword.

"Fantastic!" Bunny grumbled.

"If we must wait, we will," North looked a little displeased as he began heading down into the main part of the workshop. Everyone could already hear him beginning to finalise the toys; _like prototype! How many times must I tell you! _Was the most commonly heard sentence.

"I don't like this," Jack swung back up the right way and jumped down from the roof.

"No one likes it," Nico sounded frustrated as he bounced a shadow from hand to hand.

"You should sleep," Tooth said as she began to mother him, "you're not looking too good."

"I'm fine. Like I said, I've had worse," Nico brushed her away as he walked over to where his jacket rested and put a hand into the pocket, only pull out three solid gold coin the size of a girl scout cookie. He played with them in his hand as he went.

"You alright, kid? You're looking a bit antsy," Bunny for once actually sounded a bit concerned.

"ADHD," Nico said it breezily as if he had answered with that a million times before, "I'm not used to staying in one place for long."

"You need rest," Tooth said nervously, not liking the fever flush that was filling the pale boys cheeks.

"I can take care of myself," Nico waved her off again, flicking one of the coins up into the air as he went.

Before he even had time to catch Sandy had sent a perfectly formed ball of sand to hit the teen. For a moment it seemed like nothing would happen when it made impact, but then he crumpled to the ground, golden sand pictures emerging above his head. The coin fell next to him with a dulled _thud._

"He's so cute when he's sleeping," Tooth awed at the sleeping boy.

Above his head played an image of two people. One wore a floppy hat that covered her face while the other was small- no older than five. The girl picked up the boy up and spun him around in the air. Everyone in the room shook themselves out of their stupor. Bunny waved down a stray Yeti and ordered them to put him in a room.

Sandy offered them a wave as he ascended through the skylight to start a new set of rounds. Tooth fluttered around nervously, still giving orders, while Bunny settled down and started painting eggs with the utmost care. Jack walked over to the table and grabbed Nico's jacket and bag- boy was the bag heavy.

"Didn't figure you'd be the one to play nurse made, Frostbite," Bunny smirked as he set down an egg, "I thought you'd be out there." Bunny jerked his paw over to the window.

"I'm just taking him his stuff," Jack glared, "it's not like I'm going to go out to spread winter now. People will end up breaking their necks in the dark if I make any snow."

Bunny just rolled his eyes and let Jack go. The winter spirit hooked the bag onto the end of his crook and walked the halls towards the guest wing. As he walked he felt some weight become added to the jacket, and he stuck his hand into the pocket, only to pull out three coins. Jack frowned a bit at that. Now that he knew what the coins meant, he didn't exactly want to appreciate how well they were made, or how much they must cost.

The room he wanted was the only one with a closed door. He let himself in and dumped the bag, hearing a myriad of noises come from within. Setting the jacket down he scowled as something fell out. Bending down he picked up what seemed to be a figurine. He turned it over his hands before stuffing it back into the pocket. It was probably a personal memento.

"You, know, dude, you should get a new jacket," Jack commented as he moved the jacket to a hook on the wall, "that thing is old."

The sleeping teen on the bed didn't move an inch. Jack moved a bit closer to find that Nico was sweating profusely, seeing as the Yeti had put him under the covers. Jack frowned for a moment before ripping back the covers, letting a little air circulate over the body. The Yeti hadn't even removed his shoes. Jack did suppose it was close to Christmas and North started working them like crazy- he probably didn't have time to spare. At least the sword had been unbuckled.

"Fantastic," Jack sighed as he sat down on the end of the bed and began unlacing the shoes clumsily, "make the guy who hasn't worn shoes in three hundred and three years take the shoes off, such a great idea."

He pulled one off and moved onto the other one. He placed them at the end of the bed and stood up, but was distracted by the bright golden sand that still danced around Nico's head. Unlike Bunny's, Tooth's and North's they weren't simple pictures, but rather it looked like whole scenes from a movie.

First it was a huge building, then rows and rows of video games and people just playing them. Shooting stars, tickle fights. It seemed like there was everything you could ever think of. But as Jack watched, the scene changed and the smile fell off his face; and he found himself not wanting such a detailed scene.

From what he could make out, there were seven people on one side of a set of large doors, one on another side, and it seemed something was happening. One was being held back by three, while another- a female this time- was being held back by one. The doors began to close, one closing one on one side, another on the other side. It took Jack a moment to recognise that the eight members was Nico. The doors shut and suddenly the dream descended completely into black sand.

"Why would you cause such a fuss about closing doors?" Jack asked a bit naively as he stared at the black sand. Moving forward, he touched the dark and barely visible figure of Nico. Ice crept around it, until it cracked, taking the layer of black sand that had engulfed it and turning gold again- the dream changing to one of a boy playing with cards. Jack couldn't help but wonder

Exiting the room, Jack made his way to the room that Bunny and Tooth had occupied, flying up to the rafters again. He made himself comfortable against one of them and sighed as he felt some of the tension in his back leave. Tooth flew up to his spot and sat down on the rafters, gazing out across the workshop.

"I wish we could do something," Tooth sighed as she rested her chin on her knees, "I don't like the thought of my fairies flying around when it's this dark; let alone having kids out there. Who knows what Pitch is going to try and do next….i just shudder to think about it."

"It'll be okay," Jack said calmly as he gazed up at the black sky through the skylight, "we've defeated him before. We can do it again."

"I suppose you're right," Tooth sent him a timid smile, "let's just hope he stays gone this time."

There was three hours of calm (if you ignore North who was bellowing rather loudly) at the workshop. Jack had abandoned the rafters fifteen minutes previous to stretch his limbs. He found himself outside Nico's room, and he decided to check that the pale boy hadn't over heated. Without knocking, he entered, only to find Nico in the middle of getting changed.

Nico- for at it was worth- didn't get mad. He just quirked an eyebrow as he worked his T-shirt over his scar riddled chest. Jack managed to see three sets of full bite marks. Two sets of four clawed scratch marks, and something that looked like a burn before the T-shirt slid down.

"Quiet a collection you have there," Jack leant on his staff.

"I can't say I take pride in them," Nico sat down and slipped on his boots, fumbling with the laces, "who took these off?"

"I did," Jack commented as he flew over to the window.

"You messed up the laces," Nico commented idly as he began tying up the laces, fingers shaking a little bit.

"I haven't worn shoes in over three hundred years," Jack countered, watching as Nico finished with the shoes and picked up his sword.

As Nico knelt down to pick up a coin that had fallen out of his slightly overflowing pocket, Jack saw a leather bead necklace slip out of his shirt. As quickly as it came out though, it disappeared. The son of Hades put on his jacket, despite his flushed face and slightly glazed eyes.

Nico took ten coins out of his pocket.

"That's a lot," Jack said in surprise.

"Adults are probably crashing cars, planes probably had some troubles with landing, kids probably tripped down stairs…"Nico trailed off, "any other way to get out of here?"

"You're still looking a little…flushed," Jack put it nicely as he could. The raven haired boys cheeks were flushed, hair stuck up in all odd directions, eyes had gone completely black, and there was a jerkiness to his movements.

"I'm fine," Nico waved it away, "you've seen the scars. I've had worse."

Jack found himself agreeing that the teen had indeed seen worse.

"Maybe you should just wait…"

"Those kids are out there all alone in the dark," Nico glared at Jack, "I'm not leaving them any longer."

"Tooth won't let you go," Jack opened the window, letting snow and wind in. Part of him wanted Nico to not go out into the dark, but he couldn't stand the thought of the children out there, "but we can go a different way."

"What are we going to do, walk?" Nico asked sarcastically.

"Fly," Jack jumped into the air, the wind automatically supporting him. Jack quickly frosted a note onto the window pane.

"I don't fly-"

"Wind!" Jack yelled and suddenly the wind buffeted Nico forward, tripping him out the window. The teenager yelled out while Jack just laughed and followed, "I used your travel, you use mine!" he cackled madly.

The wind pushed Nico upwards so he was at the same height as Jack. There was badly hidden panic on the teenagers face as he tried to not freak out.

"Just relax, the Wind won't let you drop, will you?" The wind howled in agreement.

"I'm the son of Hades! Dirt, earth metals, _Underworld,_" he put emphasis on the last part, "not the sky!"

"You want to help the kids, right?" Jack used the sly card, "what's the first address?"

Nico begrudgingly told him, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to block out Jack's mad cackles.


	7. Chapter 7

The wind whistled as it pushed them up higher and away from the North Pole. Nico kept his eyes shut solidly the whole time, while Jack broke off onto his own separate path of the wind, doing flips and figure eights in the air.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Nico muttered as he opened his eyes a little bit.

Jack cackled a little bit more.

"Shut it," Nico mumbled.

"So…." Jack swung in closer to Nico, who had drawn his sword to allow a little bit of light to be shed, "do you have nightmares often?"

Nico remained silent.

"I noticed that you were having one when I dropped your stuff off in the room. If it's a problem, Sandy can help, he's the master at this kind of stuff," Jack tried to be friendly.

Nico didn't answer. They had reached the first address, and Nico moved to the ground quickly, leaving Jack no chance to question more. On the sidewalk they found a girl of five years of age waiting.

"Вы Нико Ди Анджело," she questioned in Russian.

"Do you know Russian?" Nico asked Jack, who shook his head. Nico sighed and picked up the girl, and he took it as a good sign when she didn't start screaming.

They picked up nine of the ten, the wind supporting all of them. They all seemed to laugh, cackle and chuckle, the wind happily making a game out of it. The English speaking members of the party kept on going on about how it was just like Peter Pan. Nico himself stayed a little away from the cheery party, leaving Jack to entertain them.

"One more to go, guys," Jack let the wind drop them onto the street outside a wealthier area of Texas.

Nico began walking towards the correct house, but paused. The overabundance of shadows around him seemed to shiver and shudder. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly. Something wasn't right. His keen eyes made out a series of small things ripping through the night, and he barely had time to muster enough shadows for a shield around Jack and the children before they hit.

"What happened to neutral parties?" The cool British accent broke the night.

"I could say the same to you," Nico drew his sword, finding comfort in its weight. He scanned the shadows but could find no hint of the golden eyed man.

"I lied," the voice was almost mocking, "I have a habit of doing that."

"Show yourself, Pitch," Jack held his staff up, trying to protect the children, despite the fact they were dead.

The man emerged out of the shadows, a smirk on his face, and a fearling at his side. Nico slammed his foot into the ground and caused a chasm to suddenly appear in the ground under where Pitch was standing. The man easily avoided it.

"Do you like what I've done?" Pitch gazed up at the black sky, "I'm quite proud, actually."

"We can tell," Nico swung his sword at his side.

"Doesn't it remind you of something?" Pitch seemed to be completely avoiding Jack, "endless darkness, bad shadows, monsters in the dark?"

More fearlings began to emerge.

"I'm over that," Nico pushed away the bad memories, "how do you know that anyway?"

"I have my ways," Pitch smirked wider, "and you are not over it, Nico, I can feel your fear. It's delicious."

Jack shot a series of ice daggers at the fearlings which were coming closer. Where they hit quickly began covered in growing ice, until the animals finally exploded.

"Do you know what's great though?" Pitch drew his weapon- the massive scythe made of sand- and continued talking, "your fear of losing people."

"I don't have anyone left to lose," Nico swung his sword again.

"Oh really?" with a click of his fingers, the fearlings left, melding in with the dark day, "perhaps I'll give your cousin a little surprise, then."

Nico's eyes widened slightly as he turned and yelled; "Jack, go and get those!"

Jack seemed to pause for a moment before leaving. Nico pressed his sword into the pavement, drawing up fifteen soldiers from WWII. The little kids screamed as they moved towards them, forming protective ranks. Nico found himself a little woozy from doing that.

"Such power," Pitch smiled, "it's been helping me a lot."

"What do you mean?" Nico advanced forwards, feinting for the left side, before ducking down to try and skewer the man's knee. Pitch jumped to avoid the blow, bringing his scythe down in the process, making Nico roll backwards to avoid it.

"I thought it'd be obvious by now," Pitch aimed for Nico's neck, but Nico ducked and jabbed with his sword, pushing the man back. His spare hand went to his pocket where the strange stone rested. Pulling it out of his pocket, he threw it into the hole he had created previously.

"The damage is already done," Pitch smiled, "I'm stronger than ever-" he drove downwards with his massive weapon, making Nico scramble backwards to avoid it, "-and you are as weak as a kitten."

Nico got to his feet and began to counter, anger fuelling him and making the ground shake; "how did you get the shadows to trust you?"

"I just showed them some of your memories," Pitch seemed to be barely keeping up with blocking the blows, "they thought I was your friend."

"Why Bianca's?" Nico began getting on the extreme offence, jabbing like a Roman all the way.

"Two for the price of one," Pitch chuckled as he suddenly disappeared into the shadows, only to emerge behind Nico and kick him hard in the lower back, sending him flying and landing on the concrete, his face beginning to bleed from gravel rash, and a long cut forming on his forehead. He rose quickly to fight again, but found Pitch nowhere in sight. The kids at the end of the road seemed to be getting panicked.

"Stay there, they'll protect you," Nico coughed a little, slightly alarmed to find red blood dribbling from his lips.

"Don't over exert yourself, Nico," Pitch cooed from the shadows, "you're weak enough as it is. Without any believers soon enough you'll just fade."

"Jack survived three hundred years," Nico wiped blood from his field of vision.

"But Jack wasn't a Guardian," Pitch sounded awfully close to his left, but when Nico spun around, only to be greeted by darkness, "Guardians need believers to survive."

"I'm not a Guardian."

"The moment the Man in the Moon chose you, you were signed up for life," Pitch laughed a cold cackle that made Nico want to shudder.

Nico focused his power and tried to expel the shadows, only to find himself coughing up more blood.

"Careful, Nico, Bianca isn't here to look after you now," Pitch came out in front of him and easily avoided Nico's blows, "she always used to hate taking care of you. Not a single one of the memories in her teeth involved you."

"You're lying," Nico swiped angrily to the left, managing to knick Pitch on the arm.

The man yelled out and gripped his arm, while Nico smiled a cruel smile. Face covered in blood, pale in the moonlight, with broken eyes glinting with madness, he seemed like a creature from a nightmare.

"You see, she didn't love you," Pitch continued, "she didn't even _like_ you. Always having to take care of you, dealing with your silly obsession with that card came, always asking stupid questions-"

"Shut up!" Nico yelled so loud that his throat hurt.

"She became a Huntress just to get away from you," Pitch hissed, "_you_, her annoying little brother who couldn't accept the fact that his mother was never coming back."

Nico didn't respond, but instead attacked more furiously.

"Struck a nerve, have I?" Pitch disappeared again.

"How do you even know this?"

"You're nightmares, Nico, they're filled with all these things. Even you subconsciously agree,"

"Nico!" Jack rocketed through the air down towards them, staff held ready to attack.

"That's my queue," Pitch said before disappearing.

Jack landed just as the streetlights flickered on, signalling it should be around night time in this area. Nico closed his eyes and breathed heavily, only to find himself coughing. Blood pooled in his mouth and the soldiers dropped to dust around the children.

"Are you okay, did he cut you?" Jack began patting down Nico, trying to feel for a wound. Why else would Nico be coughing up blood?

"Stop," Nico coughed for one final time, "I'm fine."

"You're coughing up blood!" Jack cried.

"Just over did myself," Nico put his sword away, "did you get all those things?"

"I think so," Jack gathered the children into a group, "I'll go get the last one. Then we'll drop them off and head straight back to the Workshop. We never should've come out."

"Here, mister," a little boy held up his blanket, "you don't look too good."

"Who was that man-"

"Are you okay-"

"I want my mumma-"

Nico used the blanket to get as much blood off his face as he could. He spat a couple times to get the blood out of his mouth, wincing all the while as the wounds of his face were stretched. He'd just finished cleaning himself when Jack returned with a baby in his arms.

"Come on," Jack said as the wind lifted them into the air.

This time there was no laughter or joy.

They dropped the kids off at DOA. Nico was rather grim and silent, more so than when Jack had first met him.

"We need to go to New York," Nico crossed his arms over his chest.

"We need to get back to the workshop-"

"I need to warn my cousin," Nico snapped, "I can't have Pitch get to him."

Jack begrudgingly agreed, and it wasn't long before they were back in the air, bound for his cousin's apartment.

"What did Pitch mean about you're afraid of losing people? About how you've experienced something like this before?" Jack couldn't help but question.

"Nothing of importance to you," Nico was certainly not in a talking mood.

"If it's your weakness, then it is important to me. We can't have someone fighting with us if he has open wounds- no pun intended."

"Just leave it, okay," Nico snapped, glaring at Jack with such ferocity the Winter Spirit had to resist the urge to cringe.

The trip to New York was silent. The wind dropped them off at the fire escape outside the window. The window box of flowers on the ledge looked rather dull and dead. To Jack it seemed they were already suffering from no sun, but Nico knew it was because of no moon. He shuddered to think of the panic up on Olympus. Artemis would be causing a whirlwind of fury up there.

Using his dagger he pried open the window and slipped through, Jack deciding to perch on the window and wait. Nico stood in the centre of the mess and tried to figure out how to get a message across.

"If I write him a note, he can see it, right?" Nico questioned as he went over to the desk and sat down, pulling out an abandoned school notebook and a pen.

"In this mess he might think it's trash," Jack commented as he stepped in, heading over to the side table and looking at the photo.

The photo actually looked quiet depressing. Six people sat around a table, looking as if someone had just killed a bunch of puppies. A tall blonde boy was staring moodily out to the left, while a beautiful girl next to him was leaning on his shoulder, looking half asleep. A tall, pudgy Chinese boy was staring across the table at a beautiful girl with dark toned skin and dark hair. At the head of the table a rather mischievous looking boy was holding what seemed to be a large wrench in his hands.

Then right at the back was a face Jack recognised. Nico sat next to the dark skinned girl, half in the shadows; looking so tired and worn it was hard to believe. The winter spirit flickered a glance over his shoulder to Nico, who was still working on the note, and realised that this photo couldn't have been taken more than half a year before Nico died.

"Who are all these people?" Jack questioned Nico, who looked up slightly surprised, "friends of yours?

"The dark skinned one is Hazel, my sister," Nico rummaged in his pockets, "we have different mothers," he explained seeing Jack's confused expression, "the blonde is my cousin, Jason. The rest are various second cousins- I wouldn't say friends."

"You all look so grim," Jack frowned a little.

"Back then it was hard to be happy," Nico stood up and moved next to Jack, clearing a place on the table and setting down the note. He then placed the same figurine Jack had seen previously on top, "he won't mistake it for rubbish now."

As if one queue the door opened. Percy came through, dressed in a blue and white trimmed work shirt and cargo shorts. He dumped a bag on his bed and sat down on the bed. The room was dark, and as Percy went to turn on the lamp next to his bed, he caught sight of the figurine and immediately froze.

"Mum!" Percy bellowed, still frozen halfway to turning on the light.

"Yes?" Jack heard a women call back, along with footsteps coming down the hall.

"Did anyone come into my room?" Percy asked the middle aged, brown and white haired women, who now stood in the doorway.

"No. I don't think anyone would want to if they had the chance. When did you last clean?" The women shook her head, but as Percy turned on the light she saw her sons expression, "Percy, what is it?"

Percy picked up the figurine and held it in his hands. Both Nico and Jack held their voice.

"4000 attack power," he murmured as he turned it over in his hands; it seemed like gibberish to Jack.

"5000 if opponent attacks first," Nico and Percy both said at the same time.

"Percy?" his mother picked through the mess and sat down next to her son on the bed.

Percy picked up the slip of paper and opened it. He shook his head, while his mother read over his shoulder, concerned for her son.

"I need to get to camp," Percy said, standing up so fast he nearly tripped over himself.

"We can go now," Nico actually smiled for the first time, and despite the fact his face was bruised and cut up, Jack couldn't help but realise how much younger it made his fellow Guardian look.


	8. Chapter 8

It was an itching and biting against their skin, as if fleas riddled their bodies. Their hearts ran a little faster due to the fear that unconsciously buried itself in their chests. There was no moon to sooth them now, to rid the fear, to guide and comfort them and they could all feel it; though none wanted to admit it. The signs where there though.

Toothiana, in all of her feathered glory was acting like a stressed school teacher. She constantly ordered her mini fairies to go and do head counts on all the fairies, as well as imposing a new buddy system. Her bright vibrant feathers twitched at the slightest noise, and she kept looking at the window they always left open for Jack, waiting for the two of them to return.

Bunny was perhaps the worst of them all; though he hid it better. The Pooka sat with his back to the fire, painting eggs, while plain white ones danced around him. Bunnies buy nature are flighty and tentative by nature, and the lack of moon was making Bunny's heart race uncontrollably fast at any sound, his ears jerking and twitching in the process.

North and Sandman showed no signs. The golden dream maker had appeared only moments ago, offering a wave before nodding off to sleep midair. North was down in the workshop, bellowing in North and Yeti, and sometimes rarely, English.

"They should be back by now," Tooth said as she took eggnog from a passing elf and finished it in one mouthful, "they should've been back hours ago."

"They shouldn't have left in the first place," Bunny grumbled as he delicately painted a flower onto his egg, "we've gotta stay together; it's too dangerous out their without Manny."

"Do my ears deceive me? Does Bunny sound like he actually cares?" A cold gust blew through the window as Jack dropped in. Instantly Tooth swarmed down upon him.

"Where did you go? Why did it take so long? Where's Nico?-" she said, looking rather flustered.

"I'm here," Nico said as he came up the winding stairs.

He looked like he had aged a couple years. His movements weren't as fast, nor as silent. Usually the son of Hades was quiet as a mouse; despite his combat boots, sword, and heavy jacket, but now his boots made heavy clunking noises as they hit the floor boards, sword jangling obnoxiously on its chain, leather of his jacket squeaking due to the moisture that rested on it, he looked weary, slightly hunched, with stiff knees. His black hair was matted with blood, his face had a long graze on one side, marring the olive toned skin, while above that rested a long cut, right near the hairline. Already bruises could be seen forming along his cheek bone, dark blue and purple in their fury.

"You better tell me this instance what happened," Tooth said as she rushed over to Nico.

Bunny echoed her statement as he said; "where the hell did you two get too?"

Nico actually allowed Tooth to push him into a seat. But when she began fluttering around his face to start seeing if the cut needed stitches he pushed her away.

"I had to do a job," Nico's voice was the usual monotone, "Jack had the winds give me a lift. We ran into Pitch."

"What happened?" Bunny nudged Sandy awake before moving to the bannister and calling North up.

The great man came up the stairs, and after seeing Nico's face, yelled down in Russian. A yeti came up and handed over a first aid kit to North, and Nico's scowl didn't go unnoticed.

"It's fine," Nico tried to stand up, but Bunny came up behind him and pushed down his shoulders, keeping him in the chair.

"Tell us what happened," North said as he knelt down and began using an alcohol wipe to clean the grazes; noting that Nico didn't wince once.

"We encountered Pitch. Jack took care of the nightmares, I fought Pitch. Pitch left. End of story," Nico seemed rather sour.

North shook his head; "Pitch likes to gloat; he is very prideful man. He must've said something,"

The large man took care of the cut, closing it with sticky tabs before covering it with a cotton bandage. He left the graze uncovered, knowing that it would be healed within a day due to spirits high healing power.

"I heard Pitch say that his weakness is he's afraid of losing people," Jack sat up in a table as the other Guardians decided to spread apart, giving Nico room to pace now that he was free.

"It isn't any of your business," Nico snapped at Jack, "we've already talked about that. Besides, he's wrong. That isn't my fatal flaw."

"Fatal flaw?" North questioned.

"Haven't any of you ever read any tragedies? In every story, the hero has a fatal flaw. A flaw that in due time, will be the death of them," Nico was yet again doing exaggerated hand motions, "in my culture, your weakness is usually your fatal flaw. My fatal flaw is not losing people."

"Don't try and change the subject with all this flaw mumbo jumbo. We know Pitch likes to talk and gloat. What did he tell you?" Bunny seemed unimpressed as he folded his massive arms over his barrel chest.

"That's what I'm trying to explain. You don't need need to be worried, he's wrong about my weakness being loosing people, my fatal flaw isn't that. So you don't need to worry," Nico slumped against a wall.

"Oh, that is relief," North let out a gust of air.

"Listen, we didn't come down in the last shower, and neither did Pitch," Bunny's gaze hardened, "he said it for a reason."

"A reason that is none of your business," Nico snapped forcefully.

"As far as I'm concerned, it is my business. I'm not about to go out with someone who is vulnerable. I find it hard enough to convince myself to fight with you as it is. I know nothing about you, I don't know what you do around here, and you don't seem to even want to be here," Bunny said aggressively stepping forward.

"Bunny-" North tried to say.

"No I'm not going-"

Nico stepped forward, and before the Pooka could respond, he got on his tippy toes and patted him on the head. Bunny instantly froze, nose twitching and ears pressing against his head. Above him, Jack laughed.

"It actually worked," Nico smiled gleefully. Bunnies froze when touched ; it seemed the Australian creature wasn't exempt from that.

The large creature got over his initial shock and reached for his boomerang, but North reached forward and gripped the weapon.

"Let me at 'im," Bunny said furiously stepping forward, but North picked the Pooka off the floor, large arms trapping the creature.

Nico, was looking slightly pleased, until Bunny managed to get loose, expanding his chest much like a smart horse did when being saddled. Norris arms moved to accommodate the expansion, and then the grey animal released the air and dropped through, charging at Nico.

The son of Hades for all it was worth, moved quick, despite his haggard appearance. He dodged a high tackle by a minuscule, but the second time around he wasn't so lucky. He was fly tackled into the ground, landing against the hard wood floor with a loud and painful sounding thump.

As the Guardians rushed forward, the shadows in the room struck outwards, wrapping around Bunny's ankle and dragging him off teenager.

"Bunny! Stop this right now," North went between the two.

"He touched me!" Bunny held out his boomerang threat highly, though it looked small compared to Nico's sword, which had been drawn as the raven haired boy stood up.

"We are all just on edge because of no Manny, it is not time to be fighting-"

The sound of wet coughing made North stop talking. Every eye turned to the source of the sound; Nico. The teen faced away from them, hunched slight, form shaking with the strength of the coughs.

"Again?" Jack questioned, moving forward, resting a hand on the leather Jacket, but Nico shrugged the hand off.

"Is that blood?" Tooth caught sight of crimson blood dropping onto the floorboards, "did you puncture something-"

"I'm fine," Nico stepped away from her worrying hands.

"That is not fine," North said as Sandy nodded in agreement above him.

"Just leave me alone," Nico snapped, "I don't need help-" the shadows stirred a little in their corners, "-just l-"

Another cough. This time his hand didn't move up quickly enough to catch it. Tooth, who had been in the closest proximity found herself splattered with the red substance, she let out a little scream and flew away, looking at the blood.

"Di immortals- sorry-"

"That is not fine," North grumbled, "let us check-"

"No-"

Sandy moved in for the save. Dream sand snaked out from his hands and worked its magic. In a matter of seconds Nico slumped, sword clanging against the ground loudly, the wind moving to lay him gently against the ground next to it.

"I could've done that for you," Bunny cracked his knuckles angrily, "should give the blighter a good bashing-"

"What he did was wrong," Tooth took a napkin off the table and wiped away the blood, "but we aren't in the right states at the momentum not with Manny blacked out, We're not thinking straight; especially Nico. He seems so flighty. Pitch must've said something to him."

"The Yank won't tell us a thing," Bunny shook his head.

Sandy drew in everyone's attention. Above his head appeared a series of images that. North tried to comprehend.

"We enter his dream?" North questioned, "that is invasion of privacy-"

"Knowing what Pitch said could change the whole game, mate," Bunny folded his arms over his chest.

"I hate to say it, but the Easter Kangaroos right," Jack shrugged, "we can't put the children in danger just because he likes to be mister moody and private."

"Alright, but only that, no more," North said sternly, "I do not have much time to spare."

**I must apologise, I have gotten an Nicos age wrong, he's supposed to be 13...but I'm going to keep it sixteen, sorry, also, it is a true fact that Bunny's freeze on contact from predators, it's a survival instinct.**


	9. Chapter 9

Daydreams were funny things. You could be completely aware of your surroundings, and yet at the same time detached. Jack, of course, had daydreamed before, but nothing to the extent of what Sandy was conjuring. The sounds of the workshop became muffled, the fire warmth numbed, and his skin began to tingle. The room darkened as the daydream joined Nico's dream. Above his golden head, Sandy began displaying more pictures.

"We have to join his original dream first," Tooth translated, "then guide the dream into a memory."

"Then what are we waiting for? Lets do it," North rested his hands on his belly.

Sand cascaded above them until it formed solid shapes, slowly dissolving to reveal rows and rows of games. Everyone looked around in wonder. A roller coaster could be seen in the distance, along with water fountains, and nearly anything you could dream of. North, as expected, was the most impressed.

"Amazing," North shook his head in amazing.

"Look, there he is," Tooth motioned down the row of games.

Sandy took the lead, heading towards the boy; because now Nico really was a boy. He looked to be ten. Gone were the dark jeans, clothes and looks. He wore shorts, a shirt with a random logo on it, and his boyish face was filled with joy as he played a game.

"He's so adorable!" Tooth smiled and laughed, starring at the rosy cheeked boy, "I just want to pinch his cheeks!"

"I just want to get this over with," Bunny muttered darkly.

"Nico!" A voice called above the noises of the game, feminine and young.

"Here Bianca!" The boy yelled, waving his arms.

A girl who looked about twelve stepped into the row of games. Her hair was a dark silky brown, that in a lack of light looked black. She wore a floppy green hat that hid most of her face. But it was easy to see that even at a young age, she had a very beautiful face.

"Come on," Bianca pulled him lily away from the game, "dinner time."

"But I-"

"No argument," Bianca said, In a Voice to stern and motherly for one so young.

There was a lack of Italian accent in either of their voices. Nico must've acquired it later, how though, a mystery. Sandy nodded his head like it all made sense, and then raised his arms, the games beginning to dissolve into golden sand yet again. But then the golden man frowned. The sparkle of the sand began to die. The sand darkened until it was as dark as the sky outside.

"Pitch," everyone drew weapons, except Sandy,who shook his head furiously.

"Not Pitch?" North asked and Sandy nodded, more sand symbols appearing.

"These are his own nightmares?" Jack asked in surprise, lighting his staff up with blue light. It helped illuminate the rest of the Guardians, and the fact that the day dream had turned into a full frontal nightmare. Everyone knew you could have your own nightmares. The mind could create them as they pleased, but the presence of Sandy alone should have been enough to rid them.

"Can't you get us back on the right path?" Bunny growled.

Sandy thought for a moment before shaking his head. He didn't elaborate any further.

"Look," Tooth pointed off to the right where a faint light could be seen

They moved forward as a group, none daring to let go of their weapons. There was something foul in the air, not a smell, just more of a feel. A growl responded to the left, and yet they couldn't see anything. A stiff breeze blew through, carrying with it voices that whispered in a language none of them could understand.

They came close enough to the light source to see it was Nico. His dark sword banished some of the shadows with its light. He looked like he did back in the waking world. Tired, sore, and old. Blood streaked his face, his jacket was torn, but yet he looked determined.

"What is this place?" Tooth questioned.

"I don't like it," Bunny's ears twitched madly as he tried to pick up all the voices, "he's saying something."

"What?" Jack questioned.

"He's apologising," Bunny's brow furrowed, "he just keeps apologising."

"What-"

"Careful, Nico, Bianca isn't here to look after you now," Pitch's voice echoed around.

"Shut up!" Echoed around, even though the dream Nico didn't move his mouth.

"She didn't love you," suddenly the scene changed quickly, showing the different grimacing and sad faces of his sister, "she didn't even like you."

Back in the darkness, the dream Nico crumbled suddenly, resting his palms on flat against the ground. His head was bowed as sobs began to fill the darkness.

"Please tell me this isn't a memory," Tooth shook her head in shock.

"The image is a memory. Pitch's voice is something his subconscious is drawing from previous encounters with him," North skilfully translated for Sandy.

"She became a Huntress just to get away from you-," Pitch hissed, the scene changing to show Bianca, kneeling down at his height.

"Go with Percy, he'll take you somewhere safe," Bianca said to him.

"You said we were family! You're leaving me!" The younger Nico yelled angrily.

"-you, her annoying little brother who couldn't accept the fact that his mother was never coming back," Pitch's voice continued.

Yet again the scene changed and they found themselves in a nice hotel. A women, beautiful and elegant, sat on a lounge, watching to small children play. Suddenly though, the scene was thrown into turmoil. There was an explosion, and everything became dusty.

"What's happening?" Bunny questioned as the dust began to settle.

"We are in one of his nightmares," Jack said as it hit him, "it's the only way we can learn what Pitch said, isn't it Sandy?"

The golden man nodded.

All the dust finally settled. The building was destroyed. All that remained where the two siblings, who cried loudly for their mother, wriggling out of the grip of the tall, black haired man who seemed to have shielded them from the explosion.

"Do you know what's great though?" Pitch's voice acted a cruel commentator for the scenes, "your fear of losing people."

Now they stood in the midst of a great area, filled with Greek designed buildings and surrounded by trees. The area was beautiful. To bad the scene wasn't.

"Bianca...she...didnt-"

Nico, a little younger then he was now, was staring a figurine in his hand. Jack recognised it. It was the one he'd left for Percy on the note. Jack then realised that the raven haired boy in his mid teens had to be a young Percy.

"That's his cousin," Jack explained to the rest, but Tooth shushed him.

"I hate you!" The ground began to shake, "you said you'd protect her! I hate you!"

Then again a change. Nico was kneeling down next to a hole in the ground, debris surrounding him. He had a look of sheer panic on his face. He looked weaker and paler then anyone had ever seen him. Bunny hopped over to the hole, and the others followed carefully behind him. Down in the hole. About seven feet, a teenager was gripping onto a small ledge with one hand, and a blonde haired girl in the other. It only took them a moment to register it was Percy who was in the hole.

There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the two as Percy let go of the edge and disappeared into the darkness.

But then Nico was back in the darkness, kneeling on the floor again.

"I don't have anyone left to lose,"

"We should go-"

Suddenly there was an ambush of pictures and memories. All around them showed blood and pain, broken bones and crushed souls. They saw his mother die, Percy drop into darkness, a tall man staring down from a throne- the same one from the hotel-, and numerous hideous creatures who all growled angrily and threateningly.

"It's too late. I'm stronger then ever, and you're as weak as a kitten," Pitch mocked.

"Get us out of here!" Bunny yelled to Sandy.

"You're afraid of seeing him grow old and die, while you'll be stuck like this, you're afraid of becoming nothing more than a memory," Pitch's voice was the last thing they heard before they were jolted rather rudely into the waking word.

Everybody was silent as they stood and got their bearings.

"Pitch is trying to break him," Jack perched a top his staff, trying to push away his feeling of dread, "he's doing something to make him weak."

"Wouldn't be easy to break him," Bunny muttered, " that kids been through hell."

"Hell isn't as bad as you'd think," Nico groaned as he pushed himself up off the floor," knock me out again and I will personally-"

Right as he stood up, Tooth enveloped him a hug. Nico went rigid under her touch, looking like a wooden plank. Tooth didn't seem to notice though.

"You poor thing," she cooed.

"Tooth," North hissed, making violent 'stop it' gestures.

The Tooth fairy let him go and Nico took a step back. He gazed at everyone, brow furrowed.

"What happened?"

No one responded. But two and two seemed to click.

"You saw my dreams, didn't you?" Nico bent down and picked up his sword.

No one denied it.

The son of Hades eyes began turning darker. North tried to quell the anger; "we needed to know what Pitch said-"

"So you went into my dreams? There is no way in the world you can find an excuse good enough for that. They're personal-"

"We did what we had to-"

"No!" Nico yelled, sword rising a little bit, "I'm done with you five prying into my business. I keep that private for a reason."

Before any of them could respond, he marched out, disappearing down the stairs. Everyone just stood, a little shocked at the events that ha just taken place.

"We shouldn't have done that," Tooth shook her head, "he hates us now."

"It was the only way, Tooth," North comforted her.

"I'm going to go find him," Jack hopped off his staff.

Jack scoured the whole workshop. He couldn't find a trace of the dark haired teenager. He was about to give up when he noticed an open skylight. Jumping up, he found himself on the roof of the workshop, gazing out into a dark nothingness. Pushing some power into his staff, it glowed blue.

He spotted Nico sitting on the edge of the roof. He was buried deep in his jacket, knees drawn up to his chest, stark moodily out at the darkness. Jack sat down next to him, and Nico didn't even move.

"I had a sister," Jack said as he set his staff across his knees, " her name was Genevieve."

Nico remained silent.

"We went ice skating, at the end of winter, and the ice was too thin," Jack took in a deep chilly breath, "the ice began to crack, so I turned it into a game to get her off the ice. I pulled her out of the way without the ice cracking; but I moved onto thinner ice. I fell through and died- heh, yeah, not a nice experience- but she lived."

"Is that supposed to make me pity you?" Nico's voice was yet again monotone.

"I'm trying to say you're not the only one who lost a sister," Jack pointed out, "you're not alone."

"I've gotten over Bianca's death," Nico still didn't look at him, "I got mad because I don't like people in my head."

"Why?" Jack couldn't help but ask.

It seemed like Nico couldn't respond, but then he said; "that dream you saw with the door...and the darkness...it's a place called Tartarus. It's the darkest and cruelest place. I went there, foolishly, and I got trapped. I nearly went mad. I heard things inside my head, I saw things that weren't real...it changed me..."

Jack remained silent.

"The second time i ended up there...I did go insane...I don't like people being in my head. It makes me feel vulnerable;

"I'm not used to being around people, even when I was alive I was rather solitary. For the past 3 years I've kept my problems to myself. To have you guys see everything it..."

"The Guardians...we're family. If you let us, you won't have to be alone," Jack explained, turning to look at Nico.

Nico just nodded, "I don't think I'll be around for that long."

"What?" Jack asked shocked.

"Pitch is sapping my powers. I'm getting weaker. Soon enough, I'll fade." Nico shook his head.

"You're dying?" Jack stood up in a panic.

"I guess when you put I that way it does sound bad," Nico almost seemed to chuckle.

"We need to get you believers," Jack said quickly, "that should keep you going longer, right?"

"I've never had a believer. How are we going to find one in time?" Nico raised an eyebrow.

"I know a couple people," Jack smirked.


	10. Chapter 10

Nico over the years had questioned his existence many times. Was his existence important? Was it worth anything? Both answers of course had been no. After dying and becoming a spirit he didn't value his life one bit. He was always just going through the motions. There was no excitement or quests, not Percy mother henning him or Hazel to talk to, his existence had become dull and boring; and he wouldn't be upset if he died for good. In the first year he had considered taking his own life; but went against it- he didn't like the thought of suicide. So he had waited for three years for something to come and get him.

Now it was actually happening. He was dying. Someone once told him "dying is the hard part, death though; death is like falling asleep". It seemed that person was right. Of course Nico had died before, but he had been in a state of insanity induced delirium, hardly aware of anything except shadows and voices in the dark. This time he could feel it. Each breath felt thick, his joints felt heavy, his fingers and toes tingled, and his head pounded. Hot flashes riddled his body, making him grimace inwardly. He knew that if he wanted to, he could just expel all of his power, maybe cause an earth quake, and then be done with it.

Part of him didn't want to. It was the same part that wanted to beat Pitch. He hated that grey smooth talking git. It was enough that he took Nico's memories, but Bianca's? Using them against him? It made him so mad. Nico knew at the rate his powers were draining, he had perhaps 2 days, 3 if he was lucky. Pitch wouldn't make his move in that time. He'd wait until Nico was done, get one more player off the board. If the Son of Hades got a believer though, maybe he could last long enough to beat Pitch. No doubt a battle like that with only one believer would finish him.

For Nico, it was all he could really ask for.

Jack, unfortunately, seemed set on keeping him around. Nico followed Jack down off the roof, drawing his jacket closer around him, hearing a single coin jingle against various things he kept in his pockets. He twisted his skull ring as he walked. He felt uneasy. Memories huddled close to the surface, making him eye the shadows with unease, and flinch slightly as noises carried down the hall.

"-his names Jamie, he was my first believer, he's great-" Jack was rambling on.

Tooth appeared at the end of the hall, listing off orders to her fairies, but she paused when she saw Nico. She offered him an extremely tentative smile, that he returned- and despite the fact it was completely forced, she seemed to accept it as an invitation to approach.

"We're going to see Jamie," Jack swung his staff onto his shoulder.

"I don't think that's a good idea-" Tooth gazed out the window at the darkness in worry, "-We aren't prepared to fight Pitch."

"I need a believer," Nico said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Pitch is taking all my power."

"If you get power from believer though, wont that give him more to take?" Tooth asked as she absently played with a feather, obviously trying to calm her nerves.

"Yes," Nico shrugged, "without it though, I'll be dead in two days. I get one believer, it'll give me enough energy for a week, maybe. It'll be my only opportunity to get enough power to stop Pitch."

Tooth seemed to be trying to take all the information in, her expression changed a million times in a minute, until she seemed to brighten; "you need to find your center!"

"Of course," Jack said suddenly, "your center can keep you going for longer!"

"Good luck finding it. I don't think death is something children appreciate," Nico said sarcastically.

"Well, you're the only one who can figure it out," Tooth reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, "but I promise you, we won't let you fade. I swear it."

"Thanks," the word tasted foreign on his tongue.

"I mean it," Tooth slid her hand away and looked him in the eye, and Nico found himself slightly entranced by her oddly beautiful coloured eyes, "we really do care for you- Bunny included- he just likes to act tough on the outside. He's really a big softy."

"If you're done with the chick flick moment..." Jack was smirking a little bit.

Tooth blushed and moved away, awkwardly beginning to give off more orders. Jack beckoned for Nico to follow. The son of Hades felt a little out of his element. People actually cared for him.

"North!" Jack jumped down from the bannister while Nico took the stairs, moving slowly.

"Jack!" North called back, chucking Jack a figurine, "what do you think?"

"It's good," Jack through it back, "we need some snow globes."

"No, already told you Jack, I need snow globes-"

Nico lent against the wall, watching as Jack floated up to whisper something in Norths ear. The large happy man paused for a moment.

"Only two!" He shouted, "no more,"

Nico rushed to keep up with Jack, who was rocketing through the workshop. The loud noises of the room made his head throb even worse, and he tried his best to push the pain away. It slowed him down, so by the time he reached Jack, the winter spirit already had two snow globes on hand.

"No wind?" Nico questioned as casually as he could.

"Need to make the most of the time we have," Jack held one up to his face and said "Burgess" before dropping it on the floor.

A colourful and blinding vortex suddenly appeared. Nico took a step back in shock while Jack just chuckled and jumped in, disappearing immediately. Nico paused before jumping into the magic portal. Everything suddenly went bright, so bright he had to close his eyes, but it still pierced through his lids. A nauseated feeling filled him as he hit solid ground, landing in a snow bank, the icy cold biting into his skin. It took him a second to open his eyes, but he shut them quickly, feeling them sting in annoyance to the dim light of the street lamps.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't enjoy that," Jack chuckled from somewhere above him, "much better then your form of travel."

"Too bright," Nico forced himself to stand, before very carefully opening his eyes inch by inch.

"You're not going to hurl, are you?" Jack questioned, standing a fair distance back.

"No," Nico took a deep breath of chilly air, "I'm fine."

"Right..." Jack trailed off and swung his staff in a basic pattern, "that's Jamie house I think they've cancelled school so he should be in."

Nico followed Jack through the snow, looking around the suburban area. It looked like the atomic-all American- neighborhood. Reasonably priced cars in the driveways, picket fences, garden gnomes. The son of Hades never really understood why people would want such boring lives.

The wind boosted them up the window ledge, and sure enough, inside a reasonably sized room, sat a pre-teen at a desk, looking as if he was studying/ He had a mop of brown hair, and from what Nico could tell, freckles and brown eyes. Sitting on the bed was a girl with blonde hair, with an age Nico couldn't determine, no older then 7, by sure.

"That's Sophie," Jack said in a whisper as he cracked open the window and slunk through, a ball of snow forming in his hand.

In one swift move he threw it. It hit Jamie in the back of the head, making the boy shout out in alarm. Sophie though jumped off the bed and tackled Jack in a hug. Nico scowled slightly and moved to lean against the wall.

"Jack!" Jamie shouted, leaving his desk and homework behind, "I wondered where you were. Why is it always dark? Is it Pitch-"

"Calm down, Kiddo," Jack chuckled as he lifted Sophie up, "remember, breath."

Jamie blushed a little. Jack sat down on the bed and raised an eyebrow to Nico, who couldn't help but scowl.

"Bunny?" Sophie questioned as she plopped down on the bed next to the Winter Spirit.

"Not today," Jack gave a small smile.

"So is it Pitch?" Jamie seemed like he couldn't keep It inside any longer. For some reason, Jamie reminded Nico of his younger self. Percy did say he always used to ask questions.

"Can't keep anything from you, can I, squirt?" Jack set his staff down on the floor.

"I'm not a squirt! I'm nearly a teenager," Jamie sulked a little.

"I can see the hormones are already kicking in,"' the white haired spirit joked, "is that some hair I see?"

Jamie covered his upper lip and blushed even brighter. Nico rolled his eyes and began moving around the room, finding it impossible to stay still. Jack watched his movements with keen blue eyes.

"I actually need your help," Jack smiled brightly, "it'll help us beat Pitch."

"Anything!" Sophie said excitedly.

"We have a new Guardian," Jack began, "his names Nico."

"Where is he?" Jamie's words made Nico scowl even more. Jack caught sight of it and frowned a little.

"He's here right now," The Winter Spirit stood up, "you see, he doesn't have any believers. I figured who better the you two to be his first!"

The siblings eyes widened in excitement.

"Hi Nico!" Jamie said to his left, even though Nico was standing behind him, inspecting the pictures on the walls.

"Uh, Jamie, he's behind you," Jack chuckled.

"Why can't we see him yet?" Jamie spun around, looking a little to the left of Nico.

"Well, I can't just give you a name and expect you to see him, can I?" Jack clapped his hands together, "he needs to have a legend. Because its like me telling you about an imaginary friend that you know nothing about and expecting you to see him."

"Story time," Sophie bounced up and down.

"I hate story time," Nico faced a picture of Jamie on a field trip to the zoo.

"So, Nico, he's really new. The Man in the Moon created him only three years ago," Jack crouched down to the siblings levels, "but even before that, he was a hero."

"Like superman?" Jamie questioned excitably.

Nico rolled his eyes.

"Do you know Hercules-"

"Hercules is Roman. Herakles is Greek. And don't compare me to him, he isn't exactly the best person to be comparing to," Nico cut in as he turned around to face Jack.

"-okay, forget that. What other heroes are there?"

"I don't know," Jamie shrugged a little confused.

"Hang on a minute, Jamie," Jack held up a finger.

"Perseus," Nico listed off the first one that came to mind.

"Okay, Jamie, do you know Perseus?" Jack asked the pre-teen.

"The Greek hero?" The brunette nodded.

"Nico's like him. He fought monsters and even saved the world before he was chosen-"

"I never mentioned that-" Nico cut in.

"- and now...well, now, he takes care of children when they move on."

"Move on as in...die?"

"Smooth, Jack, real smooth," Nico sat down at the desk.

"Yeah. When they die, he finds their spirits and takes them to heaven-"

Nico stopped listening. He picked up a random book off the boys table and began flicking through. It was something about UFO's. Kicking his feet up into the desk, he fiddled with his camp beads while looking at the pictures. He was no more then a couple pages in when something suddenly launched itself painfully into his lap; barely missing his privates. The air was knocked out of him and he dropped the book in surprise, only to find two warm-and very small-arms wrap around his neck.

"What is it? Get it off me," Nico stood up in a hurry, but the thing around his neck kept its grip, giggling slightly. Vision blinded by blonde hair, Nico tripped on the corner of the bed and landed hard on the floor with a groan.

"Sophie," the thing was pulled off him, and Jamie entered his feels of vision, "sorry about her, she just really loves Guardian's. Are you okay?"

Nico rolled onto his stomach before pushing himself into a standing position. Jack was cackling madly to his right, and Nico but his tongue to keep back rude comments.

"Uh...you're not what I expected," Jamie looked him up and down.

"What did you expect?" Nico questioned with a raised eyebrow as he rubbed his lower back.

"A Skelton with-"

That's when Nico realised something. His breath was coming easier to him, it no longer felt heavy, and his pounding headache and tingling digits were gone. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at Jamie, who he realised was still talking -something about scythes-and who could see him. Jamie was looking right at him. Not looking through him, but actually at him. A strange feeling bubbled right within his chest. Someone human could see him. It was invigorating. He loved the change. He even found himself holding back a smile.

"-is that a real sword? Are you going to use it to fight Pitch? What did Jack mean by you saved the world-"

"Is he always this talkative?" Nico swivelled his head slightly to look at Jack, who was sitting on the bed with Sophie, smiling so brightly that his whole face seemed to glow.

"Usually," Jack commented as he shrugged.

"Is it true that you can beat Pitch?" Jamie asked suddenly.

Jamie's chocolate brown eyes met Nico's- who's due to his sheer happiness had turned a clear chocolate brown, nearly matching in colour- and the son of Hades felt a confident answer slip off his tongue;

"I'll finish him for good,"

** -THIS IS A LINE BREAK-**

The cabin had been abandoned long ago. No new children had arrived, and Hazel refused to sleep there when she visited. It stayed untouched. A thick layer of dust covered everything, giving the already dark cabin a horribly abandoned feel.

"I never did like this place," the voice echoed around the cabin, "you always had a bad habit of not opening up the curtains to let in any light."

Percy didn't make a move to open the curtains. He just stood in the center in the rows of the bunk beds.

"Maybe I just left the figurine lying around in my room and it happened to find an old note..." Percy trailed off, "...or maybe you're still around.

"Chiron says its impossible," the raven haired teen made an odd noise in the back of his throat, "the doors are closed. It's been three years. I hardly survived more then a month...three years...you have to be gone, right? I always thought you were.

"I haven't contacts Hazel, she's still sensitive...but she knows your soul isn't in the Underworld. So it has to be somewhere,right?

"So if you're actually here, give me a sign," Percy held the Hades figurine in his hand, "because I need to get on with my life- I can't lose my job-" Percy rubbed the back of his neck, "-and I only have one more day of sick leave. So give me a sign that you're actually around."

Percy waited for ten minutes. He stood there in silence, clutching the figurine he had given his cousin so many years ago. The seconds ticked by loudly until Percy knelt down and placed the figurine on the floor before walking out the door, closing it softly behind him.

"I guess it's time to get on with life," he said to no one as he left the dusty abandoned cabin behind.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack knew Nico couldn't deny it. The Winter Spirit could see it in the son of Hades eyes. The usually dark eyes, glinting with madness and genius, were nowadays light as melted chocolate. For the first time, Nico looked truly happy. Despite his happy eyes, his injured face remained stoic as he stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Give Nico time to breath,"Jack got off the bed, flashing Nico a smile as he moved to Jamie's desk, "what you working on? I thought school would be cancelled?"

Jamie didn't even blink at the change of subject. He looked away from Nico and towards the desk. The son of Hades took the opportunity to move away from the pre-teen and sit on the bed. Taking off his jacket to let air flow around him a little better, he set it down besides him. Sophie kneaded over on her side, snuggling into the jacket, and in a matter of seconds, was fast asleep.

"-its a creative writing assignment...I have no idea what to write! I've been trying for days!" Jamie was complaining.

"Write about me!" Jack floated behind the boy, "it'll be easy."

"Cupcake already is..." Jamie deflated a little, "and I don't want the other Guardians to laugh at my story if I write about them."

Of all the things to tall about, Jack was talking about homework. The winter spirit had easily drawn Jamie away from his worries, and all the while, he'd changed the subject so he wouldn't have to answer questions. 'He had made it fun,' Nico couldn't help but think, 'he's always making everything fun.'

"They won't laugh," The winter spirit absently floated up to the ceiling, "if worse comes to worse, you can always write a story about Nico. Share it with your friends, get him more believers."

"What?" Nico snapped to attention.

"Can I?" Jamie questioned.

Caught off guard, Nico automatically answered "yes."

"Awesome!" Jamie scrambled under a pile of papers and pulled out a sleek looking laptop, "it has to be around 5,000 words...the teacher says she expects someone with a skill level like mine to write more-"

"I'm going to take Sophie to bed," Jack dropped down and untangled the blonde from Nico's jacket, "let you two get too it."

The white haired teen grinned at Nico, who stared stoically back at him until he'd left the room. Jamie jumped up on the bed, taking his sisters place, word document open.

"You're a real go getter, aren't you?" Nico asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"My dad says its one of my best traits!" Jamie said with a large smile, "so, what did Jack mean by you saved the world?"

"I think he was just taking creative liberties," Nico wondered if he'd ever been in a more awkward situation in his life. He didn't click with children. Jamie didn't seem to notice. The kid was so up beat it was slightly off putting. "And no one can ever just save the world not their own."

"So what happened?" Jamie's hands rested over the keys.

"I'm a demigod," Nico stood up, "or I was- doesn't matter-my fathers is Hades-"

"Wow," Jamie breathed, "that's awesome! So the gods exist?"

Nico turned to the window and rolled his eyes, "yeah, all of them."

"Wow," Jamie repeated.

"You've already said that-"

As he passed by the window, he paused, heart missing a best. Despite the dark shadows outside cast by the street lamps, the night seemed to be filled with a large array of colours. Nico nearly pressed himself up against the window, but controlled himself and settled for leaning heavily on the window ledge.

"What is it?" Jamie questioned from the bed.

"Bianca," Nico breathed, breath fogging up the window.

The little girls aura glowed so brightly that the son of hades couldn't miss it. He almost pulled him in with its glow. There, right in the front yard of the house across the street was a little girl of about four, playing in the snow. From the distance Nico couldn't see any more details, but he knew. It had to be her. Nico' aura reading was poor at best, he could usually notice thin tendrils around people. But this girl-;she was illuminating the whole street.

Before he knew it, he had pushed open the window and was climbing out onto the roof, boots easily finding purchase on the outside ledge. The cold bitter wind bit into his bare arms (unlike at the North Pole, he didn't have anger to dull his senses)-but he ignored it. He could climb, but he risked slipping, so instead, he tensed his legs and prepared to jump.

"Are you insane-"

He jumped out, the ground rushing up to meet him, but he quickly changed his body positions and used the force of the fall to roll off shoulder and land uninsured on the ground.

"Nico," Jack called from the window, obviously having just returned.

Nico ignored Jack and ran across the street. His knees betrayed him as he landed in front of the little girl. Falling hard on his knees, he couldn't help but stare at the girl. She had long dark silky hair, tied into little pony tails, even olive toned skin, everything was right, except her vibrant green eyes. She was building a snow man, oblivious to his presence.

"Amazing," Nico breathed, moving to touch, but his hand went straight through.

"That's Maria. She's Sophie's friend," Jack said as he floated down next to Nico, "they used to go to the same Daycare."

"It's my sister," Nico nearly smiled, but managed to contain it, "are you sure her names Maria...?"

"Yeah, Maria Etana," Jack knelt down in the snow next to Nico, "how many sisters do you have?-"

"I only have-had- two," The little girl giggled in delight as she began looking for decorations for her snowman, "Bianca when she died, went for rebirth, her soul got transferred to a new body. Of all the places..."

"That's your sister?" Jack tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Not technically...it was my sister," Nico slumped slightly, "I never expected to see her again; not in this life anyway."

A car pulled into the driveway and a man stepped out. His face was drawn, making him look older then he was, his clothes crumpled and hair thinning. When he saw the little girl though, the scowl that had been marring his face disappeared. The little girl stood up and ran to him, and the man picked her up and spun her around, making her giggle.

"She's so happy," Nico stood up, wrapping his arms around himself.

"They have a great family, she has a brother as well, I think," Jack stood up as well and rubbed the back of his neck.

"She looks so happy," Nico stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.

"Well, maybe, after we're done with Pitch, we can get her to believe in you," the winter spirit shrugged.

It became a hard task for Nico to drag his gaze away from the girl. She soon disappeared inside with her father, abandoning her snowman, leaving it to crumble in the yard. He smiled as he thought of a life like this; a happy life with Bianca.

"Jack!" Jamie ran out into the snow, rushing to put on his thick winter jacket, "what happened-"

"Nothing to worry about, Jamie," Jack said casually, "Nico just doesn't think before acting."

Nico was too filled up with Euphoria about the future that he didn't respond. A strong breeze blew through, making him shudder. Turning away from it slightly, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. To the west, up against the black sky, rested a bank of grey clouds- only visible to due to the constant flashes from lightening above it.

"That's not natural," Nico drew his sword instinctively.

"Pitch?" Jack questioned.

"Can't hurt to check it out," Nico nodded in agreement.

**-THIS IS A LINE BREAK-**

"Food, food, food, food," the fish in the tank sang as Percy walked past.

"You've already been fed," Percy commented as he picked up a box containing a selection of newly imported corals.

"Again, again, again," they cheered.

Percy rolled his eyes and looked at his watch with a sigh. He had to work double overtime to make up for the work he missed out on. Running a hand through his hair, he began placing the corals into a new display close to the shop entrance. As he knelt to adjust the temperature on the tank, something caught his eye. Reaching down to pick it up.

Resting in his palm was the Hades figurine. He gazed at it for a moment before straightening up. Shaking his head, he set it down on the counter. The bosses son liked to play the game. He probably dropped it and couldn't reach it.

After finishing putting the corals in, he moved to the back room, starting to turn off all of the lights on the tanks. After he turned off all the lights, he locked the shop up and headed out into the parking lot. There in the shadows rested the figurine. Percy picked it up, heart missing a beat.

"Nico?" Percy questioned.

As if in response the shadows shifted. Stepping forward Percy touched the shadows, finding them thick and solid. He pushed his arm in further, and instead of hitting the wall of the building, it just kept going. Gazing around the parking lot, he took a deep breath before stepping in; disappearing without a trace.


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, guys, I've figured out how to fix my mistake about Nico's age. He was 13 when he died, but the Man in the Moon brought him back in a sixteen year old body (I Know its stupid, but I really hate that I made a mistake like that, so, please, bear with me)**

The clearing was black. Percy couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He gazed upwards to what he presumed to bee the general direction of the sky and found no moon to welcome him. He could smell freshly upturned earthy dirt, trees- perhaps pine- filled his nose. He must be out somewhere rural. Only small towns and secluded areas were left in total darkness due to their lack of electrical lights. Breathing deeply, he pulled out Riptide and uncapped it, letting the dim light help him see his surroundings. For a moment he half expected Annabeth to be besides him- just like it always been in Tartarus- but no; he was alone.

from what he could tell, he was in a forest of some kind; the trees were sparse due to winter, and it gave the whole area an eery feel. The chill of the night bit into his skin, making him shiver and jump a little on the spot to warm up. His work polo, jacket and jeans weren't anywhere near warm enough. He could already feel his cheeks beginning to numb from the cold.

A rustling to the left made him stop his mental whinging about the cold. Lifting his sword, he tried to shed more light on the forrest, but failed. So instead, he carefully called; "Nico", hand tightening around the mythomagic figurine.

Hot breath was suddenly blowing against his neck. Not Nico- the boy had been shorter then Percy- and certainly not human. It reminded Percy of a Horse. Turning around, he found nothing, only a bare tree. Heart missing a beat, he carefully repeated the same mantra he had been saying nearly every morning in his head.

"You're not there," his voice pierced the silence of the night, "this isn't Tartarus."

"Nico!" He shouted louder this time, "I know this has to be you!"

In the distance, something gleamed gold, and Percy took that as a sign. Moving quickly but carefully he approached the gold. When he came close enough, the light of his sword let him see the source of the gold. Standing in front of him was a horse with empty golden eyes, and a body made of some sort of glimmering black substance. If Percy didn't know any better, he'd say it was sand.

"Hey there," Percy moved to touch the horse, "did Nico-"

It suddenly reared up, massive hooves flailing wildly. Percy hardly had time to duck and roll out of the way. He tried to hear the horses thoughts,. but he couldn't get anything. Scrambling to his feet, he watched as the horse turned around and disappeared into the shadows without a sound.

"Nico? This isn't funny," Percy said, "this isn't funny."

Golden eyes appeared all around him. Gripping his sword tighter, he tensed into a fighting position. He was obviously facing an intelligent foe. If only he had been smart enough not to go into mysterious shadows. He had been blinded by the prospect of seeing his cousin. Annabeth would have her head when she found out.

"Come on then," above him, thunder boomed and lightening flashed, despite the fact that nothing in the area leant to the indication of a thunder storm. Perhaps these sandy horses were bad enough to invoke the wrath of the big man himself.

"I don't have all day," Percy mocked.

One of the horses suddenly exploded. Percy heard something clang to to the ground by his feet. Gritty sand rained down on him, distracting him momentarily. The other horses whined nervously and began skittering around. While the horses became distracted by their fear, Percy knelt down and picked up what had been dropped by his feet.

A black dagger.

Nico's dagger.

Joy filled him, and he watched in amazement as the horses around him began getting destroyed. Stuffing the Hades figurine in his pocket, he joined the fight.

Unseen to Percy, Nico was in the midst of being surrounded by the sandy beings. At his first arrival, he had feared for his cousins life, but now it seemed Percy was having no trouble. He was taking down horses left and right with no sign of strain.

"Your cousin is awfully easy to manipulate," Pitch mocked as he walked through the throng of the horses.

"But you didn't anticipate him to be able to handle your fearlings this easy, did you?" Nico mocked.

"Of course I did!" Pitch chuckled darkly, lips curling into a smirk, "but how do you expect him to fight something he can't see."

His keen eyes- already adjusted to the shadows- could see everything as bright as day in his panic.

Nico's heart missed a beat.

"You can't touch him, he doesn't believe in you," Nico countered, quelling his fear.

Pitch wiggled his fingers, his long scythe appearing in his hand, looking deadlier then ever before.

"You getting two believers helped me a lot," Pitch said, almost to himself, "but I can't wait to taste your terror when I kill your cousin."

"No-" before Nico could even move forward, the horses attacked him all at once, swarming towards him. As Nico struggled to fight all of them at once, he prayed for Jack to hurry up. The white haired spirit had used the last snow globe to collect the Guardians. It seemed they couldn't arrive soon enough.

Somewhere outside the throng of horses, Percy cried out in pain. Nico became distracted. A horse used that as an opportunity to rear up and slam a hoof into his shoulder. He went flying, crying out loudly as he went, feeling his collar bone shatter from the impact of the hoof. The horses cleared for him to land, but they didn't pause in following through on their attacks. The son of Hades struggled to fight with his left arm. As if sensing his panic and pain the shadows came to his defence grabbing the horses and dragging them away from Nico, the rest scattering in fear.

Now that the son of Hades had a moment to breath, he pressed a hand against his collar bone. It was shattered. Pain rocketed through the limb and he growled in pain. Taking a deep breath, he was about to join the onslaught when suddenly, the other Guardians arrived, appearing out of the portal.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Pitch smirked, and Nico nearly face palmed as the Guardians gazed around in an attempt to find him.

"Show yourself!" North shouted.

Nico saw Pitch role his eyes.

Taking advantage of the distraction Nico sneaked over to Percy, who was nursing nearly twelve long cuts on various places of his body. He was wincing as he gripped his sword, green eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"Oh, North, I'm right here," Pitch mocked behind.

"We won't get anywhere if they can't see," Nico muttered as he gazed back to the circle, whose only form of light was from Jacks staff, and that was pitiful in comparison.

Focusing hard, he tried to channel all of his power. He could do it. He should have enough energy to do it. Even if it was just for five minutes, it should be enough. Closing his eyes tight he expelled his power. The world around him seemed to be spinning and blood welled in the back of his throat. Falling to his knees he coughed up blood violently, each movement of his frame making his shoulder burn with the fires of Hades.

"Oh, there you are," he heard North say, followed by the sound of swords hitting something.

There was a soft touch on his uninjured shoulder and he gazed up, blood dripping down his chin, landing on the dirt. Tooth gazed at him with something akin to motherly fear.

"Oh, again? You have to leave we can't risk-" Tooth fluttered inches off the ground.

"No," Nico forced himself to his feet, wiping blood from his chin, and spitting out the rest, "I can't risk Percy getting hurt further."

"You are nothing, if not loyal, Nico," Pitch mocked from his own battle, "you owe these people nothing!"

Behind Tooth, North was still battling Pitch furiously, while Bunny, Jack and Sandy seemed to be handling the nightmares. Percy was standing with his mouth open, starring as the horses began exploding into sand one by one- seemingly done by invisible sources.

As if on queue a new branch of horses appeared from the gathering sand around the clearing, golden eyes set on Percy, who instantly forgot his hurts and raised his sword, prepared to face what ever the sand horses could dish out; fortuantly he didn't have to. Tooth instantly went on defence. Nico was a bit slower though. It seemed his body was beginning to betray him again. His movements became slow and heavy. Never the less, he still persevered.

"He believes I'm alive. Why can't he see me?" Nico asked as he sloppily cut through a creature.

"He's lost his faith." Tooth explained, "we need to give him solid evidence that you're here."

"How-" Nico had to duck to avoid a very angry horse, "-do we do that?"

"That's the thing, Nico, you don't," Pitch suddenly mocked, but from the throng of horses, Nico couldn't see the man. Obviously, none of the Guardians could either, because they were all saying variations of 'show yourself'.

The son of Hades beat a path through the nightmare horses, and yet again he found his heart missing a beat. Pitch was standing almost mockingly behind Percy, who was yet again left looking confused. Amber eyes met black, and not letting go of that eye contact, he began to swing his scythe down towards Percy's unsuspecting back.

He didn't know how he moved that fast. One moment he was starring in horror and the next he was slamming his sword into the ground. From the point of impact, the ground split into a large chasm. Vision flickering black, Nico watched as skeletal bodies began crawling out. Pitch's swing went wide when a hand gripped his ankle. The man easily shook off the weak grip and avoided the chasm. Nico dropped to his knees and began to cough up blood violently.

He couldn't let Pitch kill his cousin. Closing his eyes he forced what was left of his power outwards. The ground began to shake violently and the skeletons returned with new vigour. One grabbed Pitch's leg, dragging him to the end of the chasm, but Pitch wasn't going easily. He began trying to pull away, but it seemed Jack wasn't having any of it.

The last thing Nico experienced was seeing Jack pushing Pitch into the pit with his crook, and Bianca's bell like laughter; making him feel warm and fuzzy.

As Nico collapsed completely- landing on what Tooth knew to be his injured shoulder- falling like a puppet with its strings cut. Everyone gathered around, crowding the figure in shocked silence. It as Bunny who first went to touch him.

"He's not breathing," Bunny said as he knelt down.

"You don't think-" Tooth covered her mouth with her hands.

"He was hardly getting by as it was," North said sadly, "he gave his last strength to save his cousin. He died he a loyal man."

"You're saying he's dead when you haven't even done anything to try and save him?" Jack said in a panic, moving to roll Nico over, but sudden cold ache filled his chest as Percy rushed through him.

"Nico," Percy breathed, kneeling next to his cousin,"Nico?"

**Not happy with the chapter but it had to be donee...anyway, I got a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad so typing is easier, yay!**


	13. Chapter 13

He couldn't believe it. He didn't think he waned to. There was Nico, still warm beneath his searching hands but not breathing. His believe in Nico being alive had been a roller coaster. Only minutes ago he had written Nico's existence off as some elaborate trick. But here he was. He had been the one to create the chasm. Percy knew it. And now he knew for certain his cousin was actually here. Something was wrong Nico now rolled onto his bak, he noticed a lack of movement in his cousins chest. Putting his ear to Nico's mouth, he didn't even hear the slightest intake of breath. Pressing fingers to his cousins neck he didn't feel a pulse, but he felt nothing.

"Come on Nico," Percy ignored his own hurts and placed his entwined hands on Nico's chest, "I'm not losing you again. Think of Hazel! How happy she'll be! And Thalia! Nico! I believe in you I believe you're alive. Just come back!"

With each sentence, Percy pressed his hands down, trying to get Nico's heart to beat again.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Percy slumped down further, "you have a habit of doing that. Just do me a favour and not be dead, please?"

Nico remained still.

Inside his head was a whole story unfolding. He found himself in a field. The son of Hades didn't know what to make of it. The moonlight filled the whole clearing, making it easy for Nico to see the three figures there. His mother, so beautiful in the glistening moonlight, was sanding and waiting, a young Bianca gripping her hand like a life string. Behind her stood Hades, no longer in his ghastly robes of screaming spirits, but rather in a black, forties style suit.

Nico found himself running forward, into hi mothers arms, feeling like a small child again. Burring his head in her dress, he breathed in the smell of her, something he never realized he had missed. It was like Lilly's, but sweeter. A hand ran through his hair, male, and surprisingly warm.

"We've been waiting," Maria said softly, "for so long we've waited."

"I missed you," he said, voice young and unbroken.

"I know," Maria soothed him.

"I'm not losing you again-" Percy's voice shattered the clearing, and Nico pulled away rom his mother, who was showing no indication of having heard it.

"How are you all here?" Nico found himself asking, "Bianca's been reborn...father you've never been so affectionate...and-"

"You kind get to go to a special kind of heaven," Maria cupped his cheek, "filled with whatever you want. You can live the life you've always wanted."

"-Think of Hazel! How happy she'll be! And Thalia!-"

"So you're just...projections from my mind?" Nico found himself listening to Percy's voice more and more.

"That doesn't mean we don't love you," Maria stroked his cheek, bending down to eye level.

"I can never go to Hades," Nico shook his head, "I can never be with Bianca again..."

"The worlds aren't supposed to meet," Maria pulled his chin up a little so they could maintain eye contact, "isn't this good enough?"

"-Just do me a favour and not be dead, please-"

"No," Nico backed away, "this isn't what I want."

"Then what do you want?" Maria was looking so heartbroken.

"I want the real Bianca," Nico continued to step backwards, away from the family he had always wished for but now didn't want, "not some made up thing from my head."

"You can be happy with us," the Italian beauty said, "forever."

"Percy can see me now. I know he can. I can't just leave him," Nico turned away from his now saddening family, "I'm sorry."

Unconsciously he began moving further away, faster and faster until he was running. He ran through the forest, branches whipping a his face and body. Part of him wanted to turn back; to go and embrace his mother and never let go. But he couldn't do that. It wasn't his mother. It was just some perfected version his mind had created. He had wanted to die to be with Bianca, but he couldn't go to Hades for rebirth, so what was the point?

From thee way Percy's voice kept reverberating in his head, it meant his cousin could see him- he had other family. If he couldn't be with the one family member he wanted, he would go with the one family member who did want him.

There was an aching in his chest which he first mistook for emotional pain. But then it got worse. It was like someone was dancing on his chest. He stopped running, lost in the forest, trying to stop the pain in his chest.

"Ugh," he groaned, clutching his heat, "stop."

Was it just him or was the moon getting brighter?

"Stop," Nico panted, clutching his chest so hard he nearly drew blood.

The moon was now so bright it was blinding.

"Stop!"

The blinding light disappeared, making Nico blink violently, trying to make his eyes adjust. The pain in his chest was less, but still there, only over shadowed by a radiating pain from his shoulder.

His eyes finally adjusted. Above him stars twinkled softly, the Huntress constellation winking up against the dark blue of the sky. His vision focused more and he could see the smiling and relieved faces of the Guardians looking down at him. Lastly to focus in was Percy, who smiling so brightly he nearly out did the moon.

"Thank gods," Percy suddenly picked him off the ground and hugged him, squeezing him so tightly that his collar bone became jostled, making him cry out in pain. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just so happy you're alive-"

"He talks as much as Jamie," Jack chuckled as he formed a block of ice in his hand and passed it to Nico, who was struggling to his feet

"I'm so glad you're alive," Tooth smiled at him, "we were so worried-"

"Can, you guys, uh, give us a moment?" Nico asked the Guardians, who politely retreated out of hearing range.

"Why didn't you show yourself earlier? It's been three years-"

"I've been here the whole time," A giddiness was filling Nico, "I visited nearly every day. You couldn't see me because you didn't believe."

"Believe? I believed you were dead-"

"I did die-in Tartarus, I mean," Nico tried to get his shattered collar bone into a comfortable resting position, "but I was brought back-"

"-how-"

"-by someone called the man in the moon." Nico continued, "he made me a spirit...who could only be seen by those who believed in me. You didn't believe so you couldn't see me."

"I don't understand," Percy was looking more confused then a cave man who found fire.

"This could take a while,"

They sat as Nico explained. He explained everything. How he had tried to contact him, about his three years alone, about Pitch and the Guardians. Percy's confusion soon became replaced with what seemed to be relief.

"So, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, they all exist?" Percy questioned slowly.

"Damn right we do," the Australian accent shattered the clearing.

Percy seemed to jump, eyes swiveling to where the Guardians rested, nursing their minor hurts.

"Hello," North said in his usual bellowing accent.

"Santa's Russian...the Easter Bunnies English-"

"Australian," Bunny corrected, "do I look like a pom to you?"

"Bunnies are an introduced species-"

"Don't mention that, he gets a bit testy," Nico commented with a roll of his eyes.

"How didn't we know about this? Surely the gods would mention it or-"

"Our worlds stay separate," Tooth fluttered over to the pair and set herself down on the snow, "they don't know about us because they don't believe in us. To them, we're just bed time stories."

"I just need a moment to take this all in," Percy stood up and started pacing, unconsciously picking up ice and pressing it against his cuts, letting it heal him. Tooth took the opportunity to try and take care of Nico's injuries.

As the son of Hades painfully removed his jacket, the son of Poseidon paused in his pacing.

"You died," Percy said slowly, "but you were brought back to life?"

"The Man in the Moon chooses people who sacrificed themselves for the better and safety of others," Tooth was using strips of North's coat to tightly bind Nico's shoulder in place, the former was wincing too much to respond.

"Because you closed the Doors, he chose you," Percy muttered to himself, "and are you sure the gods have no idea about this?"

"We'd prefer to keep it that way," Bunny was in the midst of polishing his boomerang, "we operate separately. They're a sandwich short of a picnic."

"What does that even mean?" Percy asked in exasperation.

"He's calling them stupid, which is really rude, Bunny, that's their family," Tooth worked Nico's arm into a sling.

Bunny just waved his Boomerang as if to say 'I care why?'

"You're all Guardians...of children?" Percy seemed to be in pain just trying to comprehend everything,

"And aspects of childhood. Fun, memories, dreams, wonder and hope-" Jack pointed to each in turn, but Nico cut him off.

"And family," Nico didn't even realize he had said it.

"You have found your center!" North boomed happily, "not what I expected, but still good!"

"Center?" Percy's brow scrunched a little.

"A center is the thing that keeps us goin', like a battery," Bunny explained, "yer sure its family?"

Nico nodded as he stood up, "I would do anything for family."

"Excellent! Let us go and celebrate with a feast!-"

"Do you mind if I stay behind?" Nico questioned, as he walked and pulled his sword from the ground, easily avoiding the huge crack that marred the earth.

"Of course! We celebrate later, you enjoy time with cousin! I have Christmas to take care of," North began patting himself down for a snow globe.

"You're the reason I would always find coal under the tree," Percy gasped in surprise, "I thought that was Gabe playing a trick."

"You used to be naughty child! Blowing up buses, getting into fights," north waved his hand, "but it is forgotten. You are good this year. Perhaps you will even get that laptop you've been wanting."

"How-"

"I am Santa. Do I need any other reason?" North found a snow globe and whispered to it, before smashing it against the ground, "take as much time as you need. We will feast later."

"I have some snow to bring," Jack chuckled as he shook out his white hair, "I think England needs a good snow storm. Wind!"

Jack was blown upwards, looking like a napkin caught in the breeze, before the remaining Guardians-minus Sandy- stepped into the portal. That left Percy and Nico.

"Want to get some food?" Nico asked as he lifted up his jacket.

"My mum-"

"It'll be quick," Nico grabbed Percy and dispersed into shadows, appearing in an alley besides a McDonalds. Nico clenched his fist, feeling the power surge through him. He had never felt so whole.

Nico lead the way into the McDonalds. Climbing the counter he gazed at the food up for grabs. Taking a happy meal and some nuggets he placed some money on the counter before heading back over to Percy who had been watching and waiting.

"You do this often?" Percy stuck his hands into his pocket as they walked down the street to his apartment. He earned a lot of looks due to his near tattered work uniform. Nico handed over his jacket, and Percy out it on to stop the stares.

"I don't need to eat as often," Nico commented, finding himself overjoyed at having a proper conversation with Percy, "so, no."

Following Percy up the stairs he let Percy unlock the door and enter first. His cousin took of the jacket before ducking his head into the lounge room where his mother and Paul were anxiously watching the late night news.

"Percy," Sally seemed to deflate a little bit when she caught sight of the blood on his uniform. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mum," Percy soothed his mother, "just ran into a monster. I'm fine."

Sally looked skeptical.

"I'm going to go to bed." Percy offered a halfhearted wave.

Percy's room was the usual mess. The son of Poseidon set the jacket down on the bed before plopping down on it himself. Nico began chewing happily on his burger, more content then he had ever been,

"Your face is healing," Percy said as he noticed the cuts and scrapes on his cousins face begin to fade.

"That was quick," Nico sat down on the desk, "hopefully the arm will be next."

"Your accents stronger," Percy noticed.

"Spent some time in Italy," Nico returned with a one sided shrug.

"You look sixteen,"

"I just turned out like this," Nico started eating the chips, "are you going to question everything or will you give me some peace and quiet?"

Nico relished in the silence for a moment, smirking at Percy who was tapping his fingers against his leg, obviously busting to say something. Nico counted in his head how long it took Percy to finally burst.

"Why family?"

Rolling his eyes, Nico wiped his hands on the curtains before answering, "I think it's because of how much I...always wanted a family. I only had Bianca, and when she died, I didn't know what to do. I can't get by without family."

"You've turned soft," Percy chuckled lightly.

"I guess I learn't you don't know what you have until you've lost it,"

**The reason Nico didn't go to Hades is because of the fact the two worlds must stay separate. I hope you like this chapter, I'm on the fence about it,**


	14. Chapter 14

It took two weeks to arrange a meeting between all the Demigods. Those two weeks had never dragged on longer for Nico. He spent three of those days in the company of the Guardians- feasting, drinking and smiling. During those three days Nico had found himself actually laughing-not a pitiful laugh either-but rather a warm cheerful one that made all the Guardians stop and stare.

"That laugh nearly put North's to shame," Jack chuckled merrily, floating above their heads, glass of eggnog clasped in hand.

"Didn't know you had it in you," North had clapped him on the back, "you are so tiny, with such small frame!"

On the fourth day he returned to New York with a fully healed body. It had been three days without work. Not a single coin had ended up in his pocket, and for that he was grateful, right now he just wanted to enjoy the good times while they lasted. Percy still had to work and do his house chores, but Nico was always there, acting as a not so silent observer. Late at night, Nico would stay up with Percy and try to sort out a date to get everyone in the same place. Nico didn't want to repeat his story over seven times, so instead he would get everybody in the same place.

Annabeth had work most days, the Romans had Legion duties, and Thalia wasn't willing to take a break from the hunt until the waning moon. So a date was set for the afternoon at a park on the San Francisco bay, Christmas Eve. Nico had time to kill until then. When Percy would fall asleep, he would find Sandman waving outside the apartment window, golden glow lighting up apartment bedroom.

Sandman was silent and Nico liked that. Percy somehow found managed to bombard Nico with questions, and the Son of Hades found himself being unable to answer some questions.

"So you really were alone?"

"You must've gone insane."

"How long were you down there before...you..."

"So, if Tooth collects teeth, North is Santa, Bunnymund gives out eggs...what do you do?"

Sandman didn't ask those kinds of questions. He would just smile as he brought happiness to children, weaving his sand magic, bringing light to the night. Somedays Jack would visit. It was winter after all. Percy and Jack seemed to become fast friends despite the fact they only spoke a total of five times.

"He's like a son of Hermes," Percy would comment idly as he worked on some papers for work, "except I don't feel like I always have to be watching my wallet."

After a week Nico almost felt normal again, after two, he felt amazing. On the now rare occasion that a coin would go into his pocket, he would try to make it easier for the kids, no longer would he do it begrudgingly. He took the time to go through the large DOA waiting room and find a family or a parent that would take care of them properly. Often, he found a grandparent waiting, as if knowing that the child would come.

Then, on quiet days, he would visit Maria. Jamie pushed believed into her, telling her tales of the brave hero Nico who saved the world. The facts were completely off, but it still worked. Maria and Nico formed an instant bond. She had headed down to Florida for Christmas and Nico hadn't been able to get an address for we're they'd be staying.

Christmas Eve eventually came. Nico was sitting on Percy's bed, while the man himself had lunch with his parents. Sally didn't know about Nico. She would eventually though, Percy would tell her, but at the moment, it seemed Percy was taking advantage of his own private bonding time with his cousin. He absently played with the Hades figurine, turning it this way and that, as if fighting an invisible foe.

"Maybe North shoulda gotten you some dolls for Christmas," a rather amused and accented voice commented.

"Maybe you should learn the difference between dolls and figurines," Nico replied as he gazed up and looked at Bunnymund who was standing by the open window, having obviously climbed up the fire escape from the street. He couldn't create tunnels without solid ground in some places.

"There's a difference?" The large Australian creature quirked an eyebrow.

"Big difference," Nico replied as he stuffed it into his pocket.

The waters between the two Guardians had settled a little bit. With the moon back into the sky and Pitch gone, both of their nerves had settled- settled enough to  
have peaceful and interesting conversations. Unknown to Nico, Bunny understood the value of family nearly as well as him, it made for a nice connection between them.

"North wants me to tell ya about the feast he's having after Christmas," Bunny observed the room.

"How many feasts does that man need to have?" Nico commented idly as he stood.

"His belly didn't get that big on its own, mate," Bunny folded his arms over his chest, "it's a tradition. North works hard and after he's napped he wants to party."

"I'll come," Nico had spent the last three Christmas' eating McDonalds in a grave yard in New Orleans. It wasn't something he usually cared for.

"Just come to the Workshop 'round midnight tomorrow," Bunny slipped out onto the fire escape, grunting as he went, "I hate cities like this, too big, too crowded, and don't even get me started on the fact me holes hardly work."

"You should try using the actual stairs next time," Nico shrugged, "fire escapes get very slippery this time of year."

"I'll keep that in mind next time," Bunny nodded, "cya tomorrow."

"Bye."

Just as Bunny left the door opened to reveal Percy who looked extremely well fed.

"Ready?" He questioned as he picked up a pre packed bag of food Sally had prepared earlier. Sally thought he was going to use Ms Oleary to get to San Francisco to see Annabeth for Christmas. It wasn't a total lie.

Nico bounced off the bed and grabbed onto Percy's forearm and dropping into the shadows. The ride was as swift as ever and soon the pair found themselves in a shadow of a tree by the bay. The small park overlooked the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz with a path that lead to the piers. Percy instantly removed his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. San Francisco was like a sauna compare to New York, who courtesy of Jack, was experiencing a very heavy large amount of snow.

"Aren't you hot?" Percy asked his cousin who didn't even make a move to take off his jacket.

Nico just shrugged and removed his jacket, "it's a force of habit to leave it on."

"You've always been overly attached to that thing," Percy smirked as he axed around and spotted a free spot of grass.

As Percy set up the picnic blanket and pulled out some drinks. Handing one to Nico, he was about to make himself comfortable on the blanket when he spotted his beautiful blonde girlfriend. Annabeth, if possible, had grown up to be even more attractive. She still had the typical California girl body, but now she wore more form fitting clothes and styled her hair, mostly for her job as an apprentice at an architect firm.

Thalia followed not shortly behind. Her body was immortally fifteen and she hadn't changed a bit. Dressed in camo pants and a long sleeve thirty advertising the amount of f**ks she didn't give, it was same old Thalia.

Percy didn't even hesitate before kissing her. Nico rolled his eyes and sipped from his drink. Thalia rolled her eyes as well, breaking up the love birds.

"Hey, Kelphead," Thalia hugged Percy who now dwarfed her, "good to see you."

"Likewise, Pinecone Face," Percy retorted as he sat down, hand entwined in Annabeths.

Nico gazed around for a bit as the three of them got comfortable on th blanket, catching up and telling each other of their endeavours. Ten minutes later the Romans (plus Leo, who according to Percy was at the camp helping build some new trams for the city) arrived, dressed in their normal purple shirts, strolling without a care in the world.

Jason had grown taller and was nearly as tall as Percy, which was impressive considering the age difference. He hugged Thalia first, lips stretching into a blinding smile, pulling a the small scar he got from the stapler incident as a child. piper stuck close to his side. Frank had grown into his body a little more, losing some of the chubbiness, giving him a nice physique. Leo as ever was looking mischievous and spiritual, and Hazel was looking rather happy and wholesome.

For some reason that made Nico smile. Everyone just seemed so happy. Like their life was complete.

"We couldn't do this at camp?" Jason asked as he set out his own picnic blanket, "we'll be pulling in every monster within a three state range."

Percy scratched at his legion mark absently as he answered, "it'll be worth it trust me. I just need to show you guys something and I can't risk the gods seeing."

North had pressed a firm 'no god knowledge or involvement' rule onto Nico. It seemed the Guardians did not want gods involved. They wouldn't give Nico a straight answer as to why. Maybe they were afraid of the gods. At the moment, it didn't really bother Nico.

"Oh, you've got my full attention," Leo grinned as he rifled throughs Percy's bag and pulled out some spicy Doritos.

"What did you do?" Piper asked, a little concerned.

"It's more like what someone else did," Percy glanced to Nico who was entertaining himself by playing with the cap of his drink.

"Why don't I like the sound of this?" Frank asked as he held Hazels hand.

"Because the last time he said something like that he had helped Leo steal the keys to the Strawberry truck," Annabeth sounded a little concerned now.

"We borrowed the keys so that we could work on it! The sound of that engine whining like that just broke my heart. I couldn't leave it in pain." Leo countered defensively.

"You crashed it into a tree, Leo. You totalled it," Hazel gave Leo a pointed look.

"Percy was the one driving-"

"You're the one who distracted me-"

Nico coughed loud enough to stop Percy from continuing.

"Right," Percy changed the subject and stood up, "not important right now. You guys have to hear me out with this."

"We'll try," Thalia seemed skeptical.

"Right, how do I say this..." Percy rubbed the back of his neck, "what do you know of Santa Clause?"

Everyone gave each other odd looks but didn't say anything.

"What if I told you he was real...?"

"Way to get into the Christmas spirit," Leo rolled his eyes, "I stopped believing in Santa when I seven."

"I think we all did," Hazel nodded, "what does this have to do with anything?"

"He's real. I've met him. He's Russian-"

"Are you feeling okay?" Annabeth questioned concerned, looking up at her boyfriend.

"No, he really is Russian. Santa, the Eater Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and even Jack Frost are real,"

Everyone looked at Percy like he was insane. Nico rolled his eyes at his lame attempt to explain to everyone.

"You're joking, right?" Piper questioned,

"I hope he is," Jason was giving Percy and odd look.

"Just listen. They all used to be people- well, mortals, and Bunny's but you get the gist- and they all died in order for a child too live. Then the Man in the Moon would bring them back," Percy talked fast, "the Man in the Moon is like a-"

"Great giant douche?" Nico suggested.

"-all powerful man who chooses people to become Guardians of children."

"Percy-" the looks began to become pitiful.

"No. Listen. Jack Frost used to be the this kid named Jackson Overland who died saving his sister from drowning. Santa used to be a Cossack who died for a little girl. But the Man in the Moon brought back someone else. He made Nico a Guardian."

Hazels face immediately fell and Frank pulled her closer in comfort. Leo glared at Percy as if he didn't find it amusing, while everyone else just stared in silence. Annabeth stood up and took Percy's hands, starring into his eyes.

"You've been having nightmares, haven't you?" Annabeth asked softly in a low voice.

"Not recently. Listen, I'm not insane. He's right next to Hazel," Percy jerked his head in Nico's direction.

"If this is a joke, it isn't very amusing," Thalia shook her head.

"Percy, it's just survivors guilt, Nico's gone," Annabeth's eyes softened.

"It's not survivors guilt," Percy pulled his hands from Annabeth's.

"Percy,maybe it's just a little of the darkness left from Tartarus," Jason seemed serious now, "we all know how hard it was for you down there, and we understand if-"

"I'm not insane," Percy said in a steely voice.

"Let's say he's real...why can't we see him?" Piper broke a little bit of the tension.

"Because he's invisible,"

"Convenient," Thalia muttered.

Nico scowled. He should've seen this coming. Everybody here knew how hard his death had hit Percy. That combined with Tartarus had actually made people think that perhaps the hero had lost his mind, or was on the track to losing it. Though Percy got better with the help of Annabeth who was suffering the same curse, e close circle of friends knew nightmares and memories frequented the son of Poseidon. Of curse they'd think he was insane. What other option was there?

Percy looked at Nico for some sort of help. The son of Hades gripped the hilt of his for a moment in thought before removing his skull ring. He had never been seen without it. Percy took the ring gratefully and in tern placed it in Annabeths.

"His soul didnt go to Hades," Percy said watching as Annabeth inspected the ring.

"It wouldn't be able to leave Tartarus," Hazel mumbled softly.

"How did you get this?" Annabeth gazed at the skulls ruby eyes, "this is his."

"He just handed it to me," Percy tried to not look to disappointed, "you can't see him because you don't believe in him."

"Oh, I believe alright," Leo bit down on a Dorito, "I believe you're insane."

"That is his ring," Hazel seemed torn, "it was given to him by our father."

Percy looked more hopeful.

Nico wanted it to move faster. Unclipping his sword he gazed at it before chucking it into the centre of the group. Everyone jumped back a bit in surprise. Jason was the one to make the first move to touch it.

"His sword," Jason picking it up the sheath.

It seemed that was all Hazel needed. She took the sword from Jason, removing it from the sheath and touching the metal. Her gaze flickered up to where Nico stood waiting rather impatiently. She moved quickly pouncing up and hugging Nico so hard that he struggled to breathe. He felt warm liquid soak into his shirt and he released Hazel was crying. He awkwardly patted her on the back, not knowing what to do.

"The madness has spread," Leo commentated watching as Hazel seemingly hugged thin air, "I hope it's not air born."

"He's right there," Piper said in a gasp, "I can see him."

Hazel was still gripping Nico tightly, but he managed a wave.

"I'm so sorry," Hazel kept repeating into his shirt, crying as she went.

"How is that possible?" Frank stared at Nico in awe.

Annabeth, Jason, Thalia and Leo all looked at one another, confused beyond belief.

"I still don't see anything." Jason squinted against the bright sun.

"Hazel," Nico squirmed a little, "it's okay, don't be sorry, it's not your fault."

"You can't see him?" Frank stood up looking out of his comfort zone, "sorry for doubting you man." That was directed at Percy who accepted the apology.

"Okay," Annabeth breathed deeply and shut her eyes, "this better not be some elaborate prank."

Jason, Thalia and Leo followed her lead. Closing their eyes they all seemed t be attempting to visualise Nico. When they opened their eyes, there he was, trapped in Hazels tight embrace. He looked sixteen, the age he should be if he was alive, and very uncomfortable. A smile spread across his pale face as he waved a little.

"This is either a mass hallucination or a miracle," Leo breathed out as he stood in shock.

"I think I'm going to go with miracle," Jason commented as he stared at Nico.

"Hazel, I need to breath, please," Nico managed to pry his sister off.

"You're alive," Annabeth shook her head, tears threatening to spill over.

"Tada?" Nico shrugged a little helplessly. Thalia moved forward and hugged him before stepping back and slapping him hard across the cheek. Nico placed a hand over the growing red welt, spitting out blood as he went. He had bit his tongue.

"What was that for?" He cried out in surprise.

"You're alive and you didn't come to any of us?" Thalia seemed to buzz with fury, "how long?"

"Three years," Nico stepped out of Thalia's reach, "I tried to get your attention, but it doesn't work that way."

"Explain,"


	15. Chapter 15

Stunned silence followed his explanation. Jason and Piper stared at him with something akin to shock, Hazel and Thalia looked like they had just received a gift from the gods, and Frank and Annabeth seemed to be thinking about how this could even happen. Percy on the other hand was chewing away at a bag of chips, laying down and basking in the sun. Nico would think he was asleep if it wasn't for the scheduled movement of his hand to the chip bag.

"Second best Christmas gift ever," Leo chimed; he was another exception to the stunned silence.

"Second?" Percy asked lifting his head slightly.

"I got this kickass bike when I was four," shrugged the curly haired teen.

"There is no way this is scientifically or mythology possible," Annabeth seemed to have finally finished thinking over what Nico had said. Her grey eyes were alive with new knowledge, shining so bright that it was actually concerning, "the gods don't see you because they don't believe and they've remained oblivious for years. But Jack Frost is the Norse personification of winter so they would believe that he existed-"

"Jack is only three hundred years old. Old Man Winter- Jokul Frosti- faded centuries before that. So the place was open for a new winter spirit. And he was chosen," Nico cut in to explain.

"And the Man in the Moon?" Thalia ruffled her spiky hair a little bit, "I feel the moon, there isn't a man in there. My Lady would be able to sense it."

"I don't know anything about that man," Nico scowled slightly and put his jacket back on to keep out the chilly wind that was beginning to blow, "he's not exactly the kind of being to take time and explain things."

"So he's just like the gods," Piper shrugged as she snuggled into Jason for warmth.

"Exactly," Nico nearly smiled at that.

"I just still can't believe you're here," Hazel's voice portrayed her disbelieve and relief, "when those doors closed, we all thought you were gone for good."

"I was thinking the same," Nico shrugged and dug his hands into his pockets.

Silence followed yet again. Nico within the group of seven had never been much of a talker. Everyone knew that. He could still remember when Leo tried to make conversation on Argo II after Percy and Annabeth dropped. Nico had been tired, irritable and mentally drained. The conversation had not gone well. It hadn't helped that Jason was a little mad at the fact Nico was batting for both teams; Greek and Roman. The blonde would have a dummy spit if he found out about Anubis.

"Why did you do it?" The man in question asked, blue eyes clear as the sky above.

"Do what?" Nico questioned the Roman.

"Close the Doors? The whole trip you'd never spoke of doing it. Never even joined the conversations about would. Then suddenly you're just running off to do it," everyone else was nodding in agreement with what Jason had said.

Everyone's gazes focused solely on Nico's face and the son of Hades suddenly felt uncomfortable. He hadn't even told Percy this. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was pity.

"Because it needed to be done and you guys were just standing there arguing," Nico lied easily, "we would just stay there arguing for hours and then more forces could come."

"Can I call bullshit?" Frank spoke for the first time since Nico explained, "not to be rude but you don't seem like the kind of guy to do that. I mean…I can't say I know you well, but from what Hazel's told me you just don't seem like that kind of person."

"Self-sacrifice is more of Percy's forte," Thalia rolled her eyes as she said that.

"Sadly, its one of the only things I'm good at," Percy shrugged as he let Annabeth play with his slightly matted hair.

"So why did you do it? Honestly?" Piper questioned, "you can tell us. You trust us, right?"

Nico felt the immediate need to suddenly spill his guts about everything. He had to physically bite his tongue to stop himself from speaking. Glaring at Piper- who had the modesty to look abashed- he finally managed to control what he was going to say.

"Because you all had something going for you," He almost felt the need to hand his head in shame, but instead he stood his ground and tried to look as confident as possible.

"I don't understand," Percy was now paying full attention, sitting up to stare at Nico with his vivid green eyes.

Growling in slight frustration Nico began to form a good explanation, "Percy you have Annabeth and we all know you're going to live a full happy life with her. Frank has Hazel; and Hazel has another chance at life. Thalia and Jason are family and Piper is at his side every second. And I don't know about Leo but sure as Hades he's going to become something great. Me…." He shrugged helplessly, feeling vulnerable, "I knew that if I did it there would be less damage done. It was the only way that everyone could live fulfilling lives."

He cast his gaze downwards for a moment and in the split second Thalia had shot forward and slapped his cheek with fiery strong force. He cried out and grabbed his throbbing cheek for the second time that day. He pushed himself away from Thalia who seemed to be at the peak or her fury.

"_Less damage done?" _Thalia cried looking to the sky like it was some joke, "Do you know what you put us through?

"Of course I do!" Nico felt his own fury rise. Both Demigods had always been close to the edge of fury, especially around each other, tempers wore thin, "I was always there. I was there when you burned my shroud, when Hazel refused to eat for two days, when Percy didn't sleep for five days- hell I was even there when Leo refused to even go within a ten metre radius of my cabin. I saw what damage I did; but you know what? I still don't regret doing- I sure as Hades regret what happened after- but I don't regret doing it because now you can all live full lives."

"Thank you," Piper spoke up to break the tense silence.

Nico's blackened gaze flickered to her in surprise. His mouth opened to respond, but no words came out. Everyone seemed to be looking at Piper with the same look of shock.

"Someone had to say it," the daughter of Aphrodite shrugged a little, "he's back now, and he did it because he thought it was right, we can't be mad at him for that, right?"

"Like Hades we can't," Thalia fumed.

"Besides, you're happy, aren't you?" Piper asked Nico.

"I 'spose," he shrugged helplessly.

"And I'm supposed to the self-sacrificing one," Percy tried to crack a joke despite the fact his eyes seemed to have hollowed slightly.

"That's a bad joke," Leo commented, a little more sombre now.

"When has Percy ever made a good joke?" Annabeth seemed to be doing her best to lighten the mood.

Thalia sent Nico a look that screamed _I'm not done with you, _and as he sat down he internally cringed. It seemed someone up above must've been looking out for him though. A strong chilly breeze blew off the bay, making everyone apart from Nico shiver and rub their arms in an attempt to warm up.

"I hate the cold," Annabeth muttered as she moved closer to Percy for warmth.

"I take that as a personal insult,"

Nico rolled his eyes and gazed upwards automatically. Up above Jack floated, staff resting on his shoulders, jumper flapping slightly in the breeze.

"Spirit?" Jason questioned, picking up a slight change in the wind.

"We have a winner," Jack dropped down to the ground and occupied a space next to Nico, joining the group as if he belonged, "Jack Frost."

"What's up with the wind?" Jason questioned as he felt the change in the patterns.

"Of all things to ask, you ask about the wind," Jack made himself comfortable by grabbing a drink, ignoring Nico's impatient stare, "it's my friend. North Wind, meet these guys."

A great gust of chilly wind blew into everyone's face, making their eyes water and hair stick up in odd directions. Jack laughed a little bit and Nico scowled.

"Any reason you're here?" He questioned the Spirit of Winter.

"Oh, yeah, right," Jack said quickly, "I need help with gift ideas."

"Why do you need gifts?"

"It's Christmas," Jack deadpanned, "you give gifts on Christmas."

Nico opened his mouth to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. He had to get the Guardians gifts? What good would that do? What on earth do you give Santa Clause for Christmas?

"I thought you couldn't get any stupider," Thalia's anger seemed to have broiled down slightly.

"We're not exactly the Christmas-y type," Leo shot back, "I wonder if the big guys upstairs celebrate-"

"Leo, you're starting to ramble again," Piper said as she easily fixed her hair.

Nico was surprised by how natural everyone seemed now. Of course they all sent looks at Jack as if they expected him to be an old man, but apart from that, they acted as if Jack was just another member of the group. For that, Nico was grateful.

"I don't know, can't this wait?" Nico rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I suppose…." Jack mussed as the wind tussled his hair whistling slightly, "England has been needing a little more snow….I'll meet you by my lake midday tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure," Nico said in an attempt to make Jack leave.

"One more thing," Jack stood and slipped the crook of his staff under Percy's arm, easily dragging the teenager to his feet, "need to ask you something."

While Percy and Jack went out of hearing range, everyone finally decided to talk.

"I thought he'd have a beard," Leo mused, "like a Dumbledore beard."

"The winds sure do like him," Jason commented as well.

"He looks albino," Annabeth shrugged as she thought.

"He stole one of our drinks," Frank watched as Jack shot back into the air, disappearing into the blue above.

"He didn't steal it," Nico fiddled with his own soda, "he just took it."

"What did he want?" Annabeth questioned as Percy came and sat back down.

"Wanted to warn me about the Sea of Monsters," Percy shrugged helplessly, "apparently its been a bit more active then usual."

"How does he know about the Sea of Monsters?" Frank questioned.

"He flies around the world about three times a day if he feels like it," Nico commented, "there's no place he hasn't been. Apparently he even tried the Sahara."

"I'm guessing it didn't end well," Annabeth smiled a little.

"It didn't," Nico concluded.

They sat, talked and drank until long after the sun had set. The street Christmas lights came on and cast a warm golden, green and red glow on the group. Nico quieted down a little bit and let everyone do the talking. He watched everyone though. Annabeth was stretched out, head on Percy's lap, letting him play with her hair. Frank leant into Hazel but still kept a hand close to Nico, as if waiting for him to reach out and touch it. Leo was keeping up conversation with Percy having an argument over Pegasus Vs. Flying contraptions. Thalia talked to Annabeth about her family, seeing as her half-brothers would be heading into High school soon. Jason and Piper became secluded a little bit, but that didn't stop the son of Jupiter joining Leo and Percy's argument.

"You were pretty quiet, are you sure you're okay?" Hazel asked as they began to pack away the picnic stuff a couple hours later.

"I'm great," Nico flashed her a rare smile as he knelt down and picked up his jacket, "I've never really been the talkative type."

Hazel seemed to relax a little bit.

"When will I see you again?"

Around them everyone was saying goodbye. Percy offered everyone handshakes and hugs, having a final laugh with Jason and clapping him on the back. Annabeth was speaking to Piper, who seemed to be needing help with some homework, but Percy- after finishing his other goodbyes, swept Annabeth into his arms and kissed her passionately.

Pulling his eyes away from the others he smiled again and pulled her in for a hug.

"I don't have a busy schedule," Nico let go of her, knowing he just made her night, "I'll be by often."

"Good," she poked him in the chest, "I'm holding you to that."

The Romans, with addition to Piper and Leo, left not long after. Leo pulled Nico aside and made a quick attempt at convincing the Son of Hades to let him see North's workshop, but unfortunately Nico didn't comply. After more kissing, Annabeth left with Thalia who would be spending Christmas Eve at her place. That left Percy and Nico.

It didn't take long to shadow travel back into Percy's apartment. The green eyed hero set the bag down and pulled off his shoes while Nico played with a petal of a Moonlace flower.

"You going to stay for Christmas?" Percy asked as he ruffled his black hair and put on a jacket to keep out some of the chill that was filling the room from the open window.

"I don't want to intrude," Nico waved off the idea, "besides I have to help Jack find gifts for everyone. I'm gonna go start getting some stuff now. I'll call in soon. Do you mind if I take one of these?" Nico gestured to the flower box, over filling with Moonlace, and Percy let him take a single flower and soil out, placing it in a discarded drink cup for safe keeping.

"Don't party too hard," Percy joked lightly, watching as Nico disappeared again, grabbing his bag in the process.

The son of Hades immerged at Camp Half-Blood, eyes set on the armoury. He would cross a gift for North off the list first. He'd be the hardest. Nico was thinking maybe some sword polish- but the sword polish he used. North had once commented on the appearance of his swords. Apparently the Russian man used an old mixture that worked well to keep the swords in fighting condition, but smelt horrible.

The son of Hades grabbed a tub of the Camps mixture off the shelf. Made for Godly Metals it not only worked perfectly, it also had a refreshing smell of Frangipanis; nobody knew why, it just always had, not that anyone complained. Putting it in his bag he rifled through the contents for a moment until he found what he needed.

A Hell Hound tooth.

He had acquired it after one had made a blind bite at him and actually managed to get a good grip on him. Just because they couldn't see him didn't mean they couldn't smell him. He must've smelt different, or stronger, because even touching anything near a monster would send them on high alert for pray. He'd come out with only a scar, and the tooth which had become dislodged from the animals mouth in the battle.

"Can I just give her a tooth?" he gazed at the sharp canine for a moment, scowling a little.

He supposed it would have to do. He didn't think Tooth would appreciate it if he drilled a hole into it to make a necklace. Stuffing the tooth back in his bag, he stepped outside and went to the Demeter cabin. Climbing up on the roof, he tipped one of the flowers out of its clay pot and transferred the Moonlace into it, filling it with fresh new soil from other pots.

"What do you give a man made out of sand?" Nico mused as he crouched on the Demeter roof, gazing out at the ocean.

In the end, he ended up getting Sandman a mini white-board. The man had a tendency of using pictures to convey messages, but they were never always clear. This way he could write down some more important things he wanted to say. Apparently writing out of sand was tiresome.

Then there was Jack. What could he give Jack? He paused on the empty sidewalk, thinking. Shoes? New pants? No, there must've been an emotional reason he didn't change pants or wear shoes. He didn't know where the idea came from. A necklace. Not a Camp necklace; they were reserved for campers only. A good luck token. A Cacadeus. It was the only one Nico knew. Besides, Hermes seemed to be one of the few gods who wasn't a dick.

So he sought out to find one. It took all night, and many trips, but he found one he liked up and covered in dust in the Blue House attic. He rubbed the brass metal between his fingers. An abandoned project by the look of it; maybe the one who owned it died. Nico found a leather string used for Camp beads and slid it onto it.

The night wore on and turned to day. Nico found himself hanging out in the same New Orleans graveyard again. Relatives came to visit the graves and he watched them with uninterested eyes. It was always the same people. An elderly widow, a son, and a father, all visiting different graves.

At midday he met Jack and helped him come up with a gift for North. It took the best part of the day, but they managed to come with something; a baking book. Apparently the big man could only cook fruit cakes, something Jack despised with a passion.

At Midnight he turned up at Santoff Clauson, bag filled with his gifts, not at all surprised to find everyone else already there. North, was absent, napping according to the others. He'd finished his present delivery in record time.

"Merry Christmas," Tooth smiled brightly as she hugged Nico, "oh, isn't this amazing? Your first Christmas with us!"

"I can't say I'm a big Christmas goer," Nico sat down in a plump chair near the fire.

"Is it a Pagan thing?" Jack asked from his position up in the rafters.

"I haven't been Pagan all my life, you know," Nico rolled his eyes, "Christmas was never just a big thing."

"Well, it is now, mate," Bunny sat so close to the fire Nico was surprised he wasn't getting burnt, "you want to experience a real Christmas, you gotta head down under, you get what I mean? No snow, no winds, no staying inside. All sunshine and rainbows down there."

"Too hot," Nico waved a hand and smirked, "much nicer up here."

"Can't even see the ruddy sun up here," Bunny muttered in a low voice.

Three hours later North awoke more jolly then Nico had ever seen him. After a bone crushing embrace, he let Nico go, and sat down on the couch, dumping a sack by the side.

"We give gifts first, then eat, ya?" North asked cheerfully.

"Same as every year, mate," Bunny rolled his eyes.

"I go first," North stuck his hand into the sack and pulled out some perfectly wrapped gifts and handed them to each of the Guardians, "I enjoyed making these! Much fun!"

Nico sat down and stared at the green wrapped and red bowed present. Carefully unwrapping it he found himself left with a box. Opening it up he saw himself staring at a floppy green cap. He picked it up and felt it in his hands. It was soft to touch and beautiful to look at. It seemed to be identical to Bianca's.

"How did you know about this?" Nico questioned as he turned the hat over in his hands.

"I have my ways," North smiled, "you like, no?"

"I love," Nico replied.

"Ooh, my turn!" Tooth fluttered excitedly out of the room, returning with arms laden full of gifts.

She handed him a cylinder shape and stared at him intently as he opened it. In his hands was a shiny golden, pink and blue box, with the smiling face of a girl on the end. He turned it over in his hands, weighing it as he went, not fully understanding what it was.

"I retrieved it after Pitch was defeated, from his lair, I mean," Tooth was beginning to invade personal space, "it's a little unorthodox but it's just going to sit gathering dust at the palace, so I thought you could have it! I made it so you can open it-"

"What is it?" Nico questioned in confusion.

"It's your sister memories," Tooth's smile was so bright that it was near smiling, "I thought you should have them."

Nico turned it over in his hand again, feeling its weight, suddenly seeing the importance. Running his hand along the cool metal on the side he smiled at Tooth who was still waiting for a reaction.

"Thank you," was all he could manage to say.

The gifts kept on coming. From Sandy he received his own personal bag of golden dream sand (the reason why remained unspoken though he knew the answer), from Bunny a hand crafted boomerang ('much better then swords, I tell ya), but Jacks was the most surprising.

It was huge, bigger than anything else, and when he retrieved it, he was surprised by the weight. Everyone stopped and stared, waiting for him to open it. When he did, he was surprised. Resting in front of him was a limited edition full collector's edition of Mythomagic figures and cards. It contained more than he had originally owned. His old ones had been burnt with his childhood, but now, he found himself gaping in shock.

"I think you broke him," Tooth whispered to Jack.

"More of those figurines?" Bunny grumbled.

"How?" Nico gasped, finally finished processing what had happened, "I've never seen this let alone owned this many cards! They even have _Ra _and he's one of the rarest of them all!-"

"See, Bunny, Christmas is filled with wonder," North elbowed the bunny, who rolled his eyes.

"I noticed you always carried that figurine around, so, I looked into it and asked Percy about it. He said you, uh, burnt them, so I asked North to get it for me," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, blushing purple, "I didn't realise it meant that much you."

"I always regretted burning them," Nico thought out loud, "thank you."

A silence followed, and Nico pulled himself away from the collection, moving to his bag.

"I, uh, got you guys stuff," he suddenly felt very out of place as he pulled the necklace (now wrapped in red paper) to Jack.

Jack unwrapped it and looked at it confused for a moment, but Nico rushed to explain.

"It's a Caduceus, the symbol of Hermes, a good luck charm" Nico pushed back a blush, "it symbolises health, balance and polarity. And Hermes himself is an okay guy…"

"I love it," Jack tied around his neck straight away, "can always do with more luck."

He then pulled out the sword polish and handed it to North who instantly dipped his fingers into it and rubbed it around a little bit. Everyone watched as the large man sniffed it and recoiled in surprise, and then tasted it, grimacing a little.

"It's sword polish," Nico stuck his hands into his pockets, "made for imperial gold, celestial bronze and stygian iron-"

North picked him up and hugged him again. Nico struggled to breath as the large man squeezed him.

"I never have time to make good polish- so hard and so long to make- thank you,"

He then gave Tooth and Sandy their presents. Tooth instantly began inspecting it with a keen eye before beginning to go on about how it would go in perfect with her collection of canines that she'd been working on for the past two centuries. Sandy took the opportunity to write _thank you¸_ in neat curly writing on the board.

"We can now understand you clearly, friend!" North laughed heartily.

Surprisingly Bunny's reaction to his gift was the most surprising. Nico pulled travelled to get the plant from where he had left it and returned, holding out the clay pot, offering up the silver glowing flower.

"It's Moonlace-"

"I know what it is, you Brumby," Bunny took the pot off him delicately, "flower found only in Ogygia, classed as one of the rarest plants in the world, considered to be a myth within the gardener world. How on earth did ya get your paws on this?"

"My cousin visited Ogygia a couple years ago," Nico rubbed the back of his neck, "and she gave it to him. It was flourishing so he let me take some."

"Oh, even I was beginning to think these things were a myth," Bunny sat down, holding the pot like it was a gift from the gods, "look at this colouring and glow! Imagine the cross-"

"We should eat, ya?" North cut Bunny off, who was to fascinated with the plant to care.

They moved into the large dining room, Bunny setting the plant down on the window ledge under the moonlight, and starred at the food in amazement. It seemed nothing was missing. Nico could see turkey, ham, beef, pork, salads of every kind, he even swore he spotted a watermelon sculpture further down the table. A yeti poured him a glass of soda before backing away and letting the Guardians eat in peace.

"Too new beginnings," North raised his glass high in the air and everyone followed.

"Too new family," Tooth smiled at Nico as she said that.

"Too new family!" Everyone toasted.

**So, there you have it, the really bad ending to the story. Hoped you enjoyed the show. Sequel? Maybe. THANKS FOR ALL MY LOVELY REVIEWERS! It's been an honour writing for you!**


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